Bleeding Hearts
by YouThinkYouNoeMe
Summary: [Finished] Secretive pasts arise to haunt the lives of several WWE employees.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer:  The only character I own is Britney McMahon and a few people who pop up for a paragraph or so in the story.  All others are obviously copyright to themselves, WWE, and Vince McMahon.

Characters: Edge (Adam), Brock Lesnar, Christian (Jay), Stephanie, Triple H (Paul Levesque), Paul Heyman, Chris Jericho, Lita (Amy), Jeff Hardy, Trish Stratus, The Undertaker (Mark), Rob Van Dam, Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle

Small Roles: Rey Mysterio, Shawn Michaels, The Rock (Dwayne), Jonathan Coachman, Matt Hardy, Rhyno (Terry), Hulk Hogan, Test (Drew), Stacy Keibler, Torrie Wilson, The Hurricane (Shane), Chris Benoit, Molly (Nora), Jacqueline, Jazz (Charlene), Jackie Gayda, Kane (Glenn), Bubba Ray (Mark Lamonica), D-Von (Devon)… probably more that I'm forgetting, but you get it.

Prologue

Adam Copeland, better known as Edge, was sitting on a couch in Room 1201 of a Marriott Hotel in Chicago.  He was surrounded by some of his wrestling friends.  His childhood friend Jay Reso, Matt and Jeff Hardy, Chris Irvine, Drew Martin, Stacy Keibler, Chris Benoit, Torrie Wilson, Amy Dumas, Kurt Angle and Mark Callaway were all, comfortably, sitting inside the living room of Britney McMahon's huge hotel room.  Adam glanced up from the conversation he was having with the two Chris's, and saw Britney putting out a bunch of food and drinks for everyone.  While she may have been the cousin of Stephanie, AND the niece of Vince, she was NOT a McMahon at heart, not at all.  Adam respected and got along well with Stephanie, but she could get a little crazy if she didn't get what she wanted, when she wanted it.  But Britney on the other hand, who over time had become one of Adam's best friends, worked her ass of all the time, even though she really didn't need to.  He smiled to himself as he recalled training in the ring with her, and making a crack about her wrestling, "like a McMahon." Damn, she really kicked his ass that day.  That was the day before he learned that she had been making trips to the ring with Amy.  After that encounter, he'd asked her to come and hang out with his friends.  She didn't seem to really like many of Stephanie's friends, specifically her boyfriend, Paul Levesque.  Luckily, she agreed, and she fit right in.  Glancing over at Amy and Torrie talking, he thought to himself, _It doesn't hurt that she looks like Torrie and is as cool to hang out with as Amy.  Not that there's anything wrong with the way Amy looks, but… man, I am a pig.  Typical red-blooded male.  _Suddenly, a pillow hit him right across the face and he snapped out of his daze.  He turned and saw Benoit glaring at him while Trish and Stacy started laughing.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked, rubbing his head and pretending to be hurt.

"Well, Brit's been calling you for the last five minutes and you were too far away for me to smack, so I thought the pillow would suffice," he said, smirking.  Adam shook his head to see the blonde McMahon standing in front of him, hands on her hips.

"Oh, sorry," Adam said.  "What's up?"

She rolled her eyes jokingly, "When you're back on earth, I was hoping you'd help me get this damn iron out of the closet.  It's on the top shelf."

As Adam stood and nodded, Chris Irvine jumped up, "I'll help you get it, you know how I LOVE to help my ladies in the bedroom!"  Amy threw a pillow at him.

"Can it Jerky!" she said.

"Yeah, maybe when you hit puberty and that growth spurt comes along, THEN I'll call you for help!" Britney called.  She then led Adam into the bedroom and showed him the closet.  "Can you get that down?" she asked,  "I gotta iron this shirt I wanna wear tonight in the ring."

Adam smiled and reached up into the closet to the top shelf, which really was WAY up.  He felt the metal of the iron hit his hand and he grabbed a hold of it.  Britney took this moment to look the tall blonde up and down.  Sometimes, she felt guilty but hey, he was gorgeous.  As her gaze traveled up his long legs, she noticed how his shirt had ridden up.  A playful smirk crossed her face as she decided to see how ticklish he was.  She took her index finger and poked him on his rock-solid stomach, causing him to laugh and bend over, knocking the iron off the shelf.  Britney watched as the iron fell from the edge of the shelf, right on top of Adam's head.

"Ow!" he yelled, and Britney's eyes widened.

"Oh shit! Adam, I'm so sorry!" she said, stifling a laugh.  He looked up at her, rubbing his head.

"Damn, don't you McMahon's have 'people' to do this kind of thing for you?" he asked playfully.  She smacked him and he played it out, falling back onto the bed.  She bent down to pick up the iron and walked out of the room, stopping for a minute at the door.

"You know, if you hadn't made that one comment, I'd feel bad and try to make you feel better!" she called before leaving him alone in the room.

He laid there for a minute, rubbing his head and chuckling at what had happened.  Then, he felt something prodding at his back.  He turned over and saw an envelope with Britney's name written in big black capital letters.  Curiosity taking over, Adam opened the envelope, but only after seeing it had already been opened.  The inside flap read the words "NEVER FORGET."  Puzzled, Adam reached into the envelope and took out pictures.  He recognized Britney, though she looked a few years younger, but who was that guy she was with?  He looked a little bit older than she did, and he was HUGE.  Tall, blonde hair, young looking face, and gigantic muscles surrounded the guy's frame.  _Must be an old boyfriend, _he thought to himself.  But something about the pictures, all of him and Britney, one with Stephanie in it as well, made him uneasy.  He wondered why the envelope said, "Never forget the times," and why it was even there, until Jay's voice cut through the air.

"Come on Adam! The Devils/Leafs game is about to start! Get your ass in here!"  Adam sighed, getting up from the bed.

As he called, "I'm coming!" back to Jay, he couldn't help but worry about what he had found.


	2. Part 1

PART ONE

AT AN ARENA

"Move over shorty, I'm hungry!" Jay said, shoving Britney away from the table in the catering room of the arena.  She was standing at the table, laughing at something Amy said when Jay approached them.  She turned around and glared at him.

"Watch it Reso, or we'll have to kick your ass," she said glancing at Amy, who nodded.

"Oh, well… I, uh… it won't happen again. I promise!" he stuttered out, putting on a scared face.  Jay really could act like a little diva if he wanted to.  The three burst out laughing until they reached the table everyone was sitting at.  Britney sat down between Adam and Drew, and Amy across from her with Matt and Jeff.

"Hey," Adam said to Britney, "Did you have fun in the ring?"

Britney smiled, "I always do!" she said whole-heartedly.  That was one thing she DID share with the McMahon family was her passion for the wrestling business.  After they sat and ate for a while, Stephanie strolled in and joined them.

"Hey guys," she said coming over to the table.  Stephanie and Paul Levesque had recently broken up, and, with a little help from Adam and Britney, Steph felt more comfortable around everyone and warmed up to the whole group.

"Hey Steph," Drew said, standing up so she could sit down next to her cousin.  "What's this I hear about your dad signing a new guy?" he asked curiously.

"What are you talking about?" She replied, unaware.  "I was walking down the hallway and I heard your dad and some other guys talking about some new talent. A big guy, his name was Les, Les something."

"Lesnar?" Britney piped up, eyes widening.  "Was his name Brock Lesnar?"

"Yeah, that was it!" Drew said.  Her eyes got a little wider as she looked down.

"Oh no," Stephanie said, looking at Britney as she put an arm on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked concerned.  "Do you know him or something?"

Not looking up, the blonde McMahon answered, "No… well, I… I gotta go," she said, jumping up and leaving.  Stephanie made a motion to stop her, but gave up.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked a second time, this time to the brunette McMahon.  She simply shook her head before resting it in her hands.  Adam wanted to go check on Britney, but he saw Amy get up in pursuit of her, so instead, he slid over and put his arm around Stephanie's shoulder.

"Steph?" Jay asked.  "Who is this guy?"

She looked up at both blonde Canadians before answering, "You don't wanna know."

IN THE WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM

Britney quickly walked through the hallways looking for the locker room.  When she reached the door, she blinked back the tears threatening to spill over and pushed the door open.  Inside, she saw Nora Greenwald, Jacqueline, Lisa Moretti, and Terri having a conversation.

"Hey Brit," they all said together.

"Uh… hey guys," she replied nervously.  Jackie watched as she walked to the back of the room, grabbing a magazine and sitting in the corner, obviously not really reading it.

"You okay girl?" she asked.  They weren't best friends or anything, but as a female Jackie could tell something was bothering the younger woman.

"Fine," she said half-heartedly.  Suddenly, Amy burst in the room.

"What was that all about?"  she asked worriedly.

"Nothing Ames, don't worry," Britney assured her.

"Bullshit," Amy said stubbornly.  Something was wrong here, and she was going to find out just what it was.

"No it's not!" Britney said defensively.  She stood up, prepared to walk out of the room, but Amy put up a hand to stop her.

"Who the hell is this Brock guy and why does he have you so upset?"  Britney pushed her forcefully out of the way, nearly knocking her over.

"Don't worry about it, okay? Jesus Amy, you need to learn when to get off my fucking back about stuff!"  With that said, she turned, tears welling up in her eyes and ran out the door, leaving Amy shocked and the others wondering.

IN THE BATHROOM

Britney walked to the bathroom and went in, sitting up on the row of sinks, tears finally spilling over.  _Oh god,_ she thought. _How could Vince do this?  I don't even wanna think about me and Brock… THAT'S what the pictures were about.  Oh god._  She thought for a while, doing her best to fight sobs, until the door opened and Stacy and Torrie walked in.  She pushed past the two and out the door, into Stephanie.  Seeing her cousin, the one person who knew any of what happened between her and Brock, made her eyes water again.

"I'm so sorry Brit.  I… if I'd known, I could have…"

"It's okay Steph, it's not your fault," Britney replied as Stephanie wrapped her arms around her.  "What am I going to do Steph?" Britney sobbed.

"I'm going to talk to Dad about this.  I don't know what the hell he's thinking, but I have a few things to say."  Stephanie left, only after being sure Britney was okay.  She knew she would, Brit was tough.  She had to be, after all that asshole Brock had put her through.

IN VINCE'S OFFICE

"So, if you guys understand where I'm going with this, you can step out," Mr. McMahon said to the guys in his office, Adam and Kurt Angle.  Suddenly, Stephanie burst into the office, speaking immediately.

"Dad, I… hey guys… I need a word with you—now," she said sternly.

"Can it wait? What is so important?" he asked annoyed.

"YOU hiring Brock Lesnar is what's so important!" she said, raising her voice a little this time.  Adam's head shot up at the mention of his name.  Maybe now he could figure what the hell was going on, but he had no suck luck, as Vince asked the two men to leave.

Outside the door, Kurt began to walk away, but Adam stayed by the door.  "Yo buddy, you coming?" he asked.

"Yeah just go, I'll be right there," Adam replied.

As he leaned on the door, Kurt walked away laughing, "Eavesdropper."  Adam pressed his ear up against the door.

_"Dad, what in hell possessed you to hire Brock?" Steph questioned angrily._

_"The fact that he's 6'4, 295 pounds, NCAA Champion, and would be a good addition to the company!" he argued._

_"But what about Britney?  He hurt her!" she yelled, aggravated._

_Vince looked down at his daughter.  "Listen to me Stephanie Marie, I will not refuse to sign someone just because he dated my niece over five years ago!"  She glared at him, sometimes her father disgusted her._

_"Dad, you know NOTHING about what he did to her!" she screamed._

_"Look Steph, I don't need to justify myself to you!  Brock is signed to a deal and is debuting very shortly, and there is nothing you can do about it.  So quit whining and if you're though, please get the hell out."_

_Stephanie left, but not before turning and saying, "I love you Dad, but you are the biggest asshole on the planet!"_

Adam, who was standing outside still, felt his blood begin to boil.  He didn't know who this Brock guy was, but he knew he hurt Brit, and that was enough to make Adam hate him.  He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear Vince ask his daughter to leave.  Stephanie flung the door open, knocking Adam off balance and sending him stumbling.

"Oh, sorry Adam!  What were you doing?" she asked him.

"I… I was listening to your conversation.  I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I'm concerned.  I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"It's okay," the brunette cut him off.  He couldn't help but notice she was a little teary eyed.  _Damn, _was all he could think.

"Steph? What did he do to Britney?"  She swallowed hard and thought before she spoke.

"He… I don't know exactly.  I guess it was too hard for her to tell the whole thing.  She said I only knew half.  He must have… god, Adam. I don't know.  But she still isn't over it, so it's gotta be really horrible," she said morosely.

Adam ran his fingers though his hair, "Then why would Vince hire him if he knew…"

She interrupted him again, "He doesn't know.  No one does.  She's never told anyone, except she told me and Shane a little… and it's eating away at her."

"And now this guy is coming back?" he asked rhetorically.  "Adam, I'm scared he's gonna hi-… do whatever it was again," she said warily.  Adam suddenly felt the need to protect Britney from the crazy guy.

"Well, I won't let that happen," he said defiantly, letting go of Steph and turning to leave.

"Adam, you don't know Brock," she called out to him.  "He's too strong."

"I don't care!" he yelled before walking away.  "I don't know who this guy is," he thought out loud, "But I'll be damned if I let him hurt her again."

THE WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM

Adam walked to the women's locker room, stopping and knocking on the door.  After a moment, Torrie answered.

"Hey Adam, what's up?" she asked sweetly.

"Hey Torrie.  I was wondering if you saw Brit anywhere around here?" he asked the diva.

"Yeah actually, you just missed her.  Her and Amy got into a fight, and she just kind of took off.  Said she had to leave."  He frowned.

"Ok, thanks."  "Adam is she okay?" she called to him as he was walking away.  He turned and glanced at her for a moment.

"I'm not sure."  With that, he went out one of the back doors of the arena.  He knew no fans would be out there, as the show was only about halfway over.  As he got out into the dark parking lot, he called out to her. "Brit? Brit, are you out here?"

"Adam, I'm right behind you," her voice called from the darkness.  He turned to see her, noticing how the moon lit up her pretty face, and her eyes.  She had obviously been crying.  He had never seen her cry before, ever.  Seeing her so upset made his heart cringe.  She was his best friend, and he didn't like how just the mention of Lesnar's name made her so upset.

"How come you're leaving so early?" he settled on asking first.  He didn't know how to approach the subject.

"I'm tired," she replied instantly, and as if she knew where this was going, immediately added to it.  "Yes I'm fine, I'm not upset about Brock or Amy, and no I don't want to talk about any of it!"

She turned away and without another word, got into her rental car.  She pulled away, but not before Adam noticed the tears well up in her eyes, once again clenching at his heart.  He NEVER saw her cry before, and it made him wonder exactly who this guy was and what he did even more.  It also made him want to beat this "Brock Lesnar" within an inch of his life.


	3. Part 2

PART 2

****

LATER THAT NIGHT

Britney sped back to her hotel room, checked in, and immediately headed to the room she was sharing with Amy.  After she washed up in the bathroom, she noticed the makeup and dark circles under her eyes from all the crying.  She absolutely hated that she was crying over Brock, but also felt that she had a right to be afraid.  And she sure as hell was afraid, Brock scared her to death, but she couldn't show it.  All of her friends, and everyone else for that matter, believed she was so incredibly tough and that nobody could do anything to upset her.  Here the mere mention of this man's name was sending chills up her spine.  As she climbed into bed, she thought about her fight with Amy and how she had blown off Adam earlier.  She really did feel horrible about that, but she just couldn't tell them, or anyone for that matter.  She considered calling Adam, for some reason she thought she'd feel more comfortable talking to him.  She actually took out her phone and dialed his number, but opted to press cancel instead of send, too scared to go through with it.  Britney decided she would have at least two months before Brock would be on the shows, so she figured she might as well enjoy it.  She knew Amy would be returning soon, so she decided to just go to sleep right then.  That way, she wouldn't have to answer to Amy when she got in.  She laid down in the bed and, within minutes, was fast asleep.

THE NEXT DAY 

Britney stood in an arena hallway with Adam, Jay, Jeff, Amy, Chris, and Rob.  She and Amy never really talked about their little fight, Amy had just told her not to worry about it.  Britney was relieved because she didn't think she COULD tell her, even if she was one of her best friends.  They were all supposed to be talking about their matches for the night, but they ended up just hanging out.

Suddenly, Stephanie ran from around the corner over to them.  Breathless, she started to speak, "Brit, guys… oh god.  Brock is… he's…" then she stopped.

Jeff, Rob, Chris, and Adam all spoke together, "He's what?"

Britney followed, "Brock is what Steph?  Brock is…"

"Here," they were interrupted by a voice coming from behind them.  Britney's eyes widened as she turned to meet the voice, others following suit.

There he was, Brock Lesnar.  Jeff and Chris, neither of whom were very tall, looked up at his stalking figure in awe.  Adam's eyes widened as well, this guy was pretty damn intimidating.  "Brock is here," he finished his sentence, before slowly making his way towards Britney.  Adam jumped to move forward, but Rob grabbed his arm.

Brock leaned down, threw an arm over her shoulder and continued, "Long time no see, babe.  We got some catching up to do."  Adam winced as he saw Britney's eyes fill with tears.  Brock laughed and as he saw Vince waving to him from down the hall, called, "Coming, Vince!" before walking away.

Stephanie burst into tears and ran off, Chris and Rob tailing her.  Jeff said he needed to go talk to Amy and Matt about this, and left Britney alone with Adam.  As she jumped up and sat on the equipment crate behind her, Adam thought about the guy he had discovered to be Brock Lesnar.  Where had he seen him before?  Vince mentioned something about the NCAA title… but Adam only watched amateur wrestling if Kurt had control of the TV.  He wondered as his gaze passed over pictures on the wall from the Divas photo shoot… pictures!  The pictures he found in Brit's room, they were of Brock!  _Shit, _Adam thought, _what is with this guy?  _His thoughts were broken when he heard a sniffle.  He looked down at Britney, who had since given into the tears that had been pressing up against her eyes.  Just looking at her, so helpless and afraid, made Adam feel the tears come to his own eyes -- and his blood boil.  Trying to decide how to approach his vulnerable friend, he sat slowly next to her, not wanting to startle her.  He waited a moment before speaking to her.

"Brit?" he asked, softly putting an arm around her shoulder. "Hun, are you… what did he do? Brit?"  He looked down and his piercing eyes met her tear-filled blue ones, and his heart sank yet again as she tried to speak.

"Adam, he… well, he and I… damn it, I can't believe I'm letting him get to me!" she cried.  She turned, grabbing Adam's hands, fear flooding her eyes.  "Adam, he's gonna do it again, I know it.  Oh god," she said, fresh tears spilling over.  Finally, Adam couldn't take seeing her like this and wrapped Britney in his arms tightly.  Running his fingers through his hair, he tried his best to calm her down, while trying to keep composure himself.

"Shh… it'll be okay, I promise.  I won't let him hurt you, I swear."  Britney nodded against his chest and wiped her eyes.  "You know," Adam started before getting cut off by Jeff.

From down the hall, Jeff yelled, "ADAM! Come here for a minute, it's important!"  Sighing, he cupped the young McMahon's face in his hands, "Do you still want me to drive you to the hotel after the show?"

She attempted a smile as she nodded.  "Yeah, if you don't mind."

Patting her on the shoulder, he stood up, kissed her gently on the cheek, and walked away.  He felt a little uneasy about leaving her alone with Lesnar running around the halls, but figured she'd be okay for now.  After he walked away, Britney touched her cheek where Adam had just kissed her.  She recalled what he said a few moments earlier.  _"I won't let him hurt you, I swear."  _She really was lucky to have a friend like Adam.  He was the sweetest, most generous, caring, compassionate, and… she tried not to get too close to him.  She had learned that in life it was best to trust no one, but he gave her no reason not to.  As much as she tried to be in survival mode around him, he gave her absolutely no reason not to fully trust him.  She half-smiled as she thought, _Maybe that's what a TRUE friend is._

IN THE LOCKER ROOM 

Adam followed Jeff until they reached a locker room.  Inside, they were met by Matt, Amy, Jay, Chris, Rob, Benoit, Torrie, Stacy, Drew, Mark, and Stephanie.  Adam's eyes darted around the room, confused.  What the hell was going on?

"Uh, guys?" he asked.  "Whatever this is about, hurry up.  I don't like Britney out there with that Lesnar faggot following her," he said sternly.

Stephanie jumped, "What?  What the fuck did you leave her out there alone for?!"  Jay grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling her down next to him.

"Don't worry Steph, it's okay.  I sent Kurt out there to watch her back," he said reassuringly.

Stephanie smiled, "Thanks."

Amy stood and began talking, "Okay guys.  I'm worried, as I'm sure you all are.  None of us know about this Brock or his relationship with Britney other than they dated years ago.  So, we really don't know what he did, or if he'll do it again, or if he'll…"

"He won't," Adam interrupted.  Stephanie almost smiled at the intensity on his face, knowing it was directed at Brock.  Deep down, she knew Adam loved Britney and would protect her cousin with his life.  "I don't know who this bastard is, but I swear if he does anything to hurt her, I'll have his ass."

Jay nodded, "All of us will.  Steph, you gotta help us.  We need to know more about what happened.  You're the only one who knows.  What did he do?"

"I don't know damn it!" she cried throwing her hands in the air.  "Whenever Brit came to me… she'd never say what happened, and I was too stupid to ask."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Torrie spoke up.  "It's not your fault either."  Stephanie smiled at the pretty blonde's kindness.

"Hey," Mark said, speaking up for the first time.  "Britney's like a daughter to me, and I'll be damned if I let some punk fuck with her.  Apparently, I have a feud coming up with this guy.  I'll find out as much as I can."

Jeff looked at Mark, puzzled.  "I don't get it.  You're the champion.  Why is a new guy getting such a high profile angle?" he asked inquisitively.

"Got me.  My bet is he's a big McMahon ass kisser.  Well, Vince McMahon ass kisser, I mean."  Mark paused for a minute, looking at the clock.  "Uh, it's 7:15, we better go get ready for the show."

"Right," everyone said together, beginning to file out of the room.

As Stephanie left, Jay grabbed her hand and gave it a firm, but gentle squeeze.  Winking at her, he reassured her, "Brit's gonna be fine."  She smiled at him before leaving for her office, leaving Adam and Jay at the door.

"Man, that Stephanie sure is something," he said, fondness of the brunette McMahon growing.  When he got no reply from his childhood friend, he turned to look at him.  Adam appeared to be in a daze, staring at the white wall across from him.  "Hello?  Earth to Copeland!" he said, waving a hand in front of his face, stirring him out of his trance.

"What?  Oh, sorry.  I was just thinking about how we can help Britney out."  A smile formed on Jay's face, "I know why now."  Adam looked at him confused.  "I mean," the shorter blonde Canadian continued.  "I know why you want to help Britney so badly."

Adam shrugged, "Cause she's one of my best friends and I…"

"Am totally in love with her?" Jay finished.

Adam shook his head quickly, "No! It's not like that at all!  I mean, I like her and all, but I just want to help out a good friend."

Jay shook his head and patted Adam on the shoulder.  "Don't bullshit me, cause I've know better!"  he said laughing.  "Now come on, let's go get ready for the show."

Adam sighed, "Alright."  He knew his friend was right.  He wasn't "totally in love" like Jay had said, but he was falling fast and hard.  _But that's not important right now.  She needs you to be a good, loyal friend --- and ONLY a good, loyal friend._

AFTER THE SHOW 

Britney put the last of her ring gear away in her bag.  She decided, after a long talk with Kurt earlier, that she wasn't going to let Brock bother her for now.  Suddenly, there was a knock on the locker room door.  Her heart stopped, just for a second, as she saw Trish go to answer the door.  When she heard the little blonde say, "Hey Adam!" she breathed a sigh of relief.  She jumped up and walked over to the door.

"Hey Adam.  I hope you're not ready to leave yet cause I still have to shower and stuff."

He smiled at her, "That's okay, I need to shower too, as you probably can tell," he said, gesturing to the "Edge" tights he was still wearing.  "Anyway," he went on.  "I was just wondering if you wanted to grab something to eat before we go to the hotel," he suggested.  Before she answered, she looked at his sweat-slicked body.  _My god, he's hott,_ she thought.

"Sounds good! I'll meet you at the car at like 10:45."

"Good then, it's a date," he said, mentally kicking himself for sounding like such an idiot, though he didn't know Britney thought of him as the opposite.  As the tall Canadian walked away, Britney watched his long legs carry him down the hall.  When he reached the end of the hall, he turned and gave her a wink before turning the corner.  _He's gorgeous, _she thought as she pushed the images out of her mind.  Grinning at how her night was taking a turn for the better, she grabbed a towel and headed for the showers.

Adam was ¾ of the way to the showers when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.  He turned to see a neck bigger than his head, and his gaze traveled up to meet Brock Lesnar's.  Struggling to keep composure, Adam played nice.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Brock stuck his head out before saying, "I'm Brock.  We didn't exactly get introduced earlier, so I figured I'd take care of that myself."

Adam smiled nervously, "Hey, I'm Adam."  Damn this guy was scary!

"Nice to meet you Adam," Brock said, playfully smacking him on the arm.  Adam glared at him, he really was creepy.

"You too.  I'm… uh, gonna go take a shower.  I'll see you later," he said, pivoting and going the other way.  He didn't make it too far because Brock grabbed his arm again, this time more roughly than before.

"Hold on buddy, I'm not done," he said, moving in real close to Adam.  "I hear from my new agent Paul Heyman that you're pretty content with Britney.  Dude, just stay away from her, she's a bitch and I…"

"_I_ would appreciate it if you'd stop talking about her like that!" Adam shot back, offended.  How dare he talk about her like he was! And he should have known that little snitch Paul Heyman would easily give Brock any information he wanted.

Brock frowned, then closed what little distance was left between them off, backing Adam up against the wall as he glared at him.  He figured that this was the guy that bitch Stephanie ordered to "protect" Britney from him.  He knew this was the guy he was going to have to… deal with… to get Britney back.  "Look pal, Britney is MINE.  She belongs to me, so I'd really appreciate if you kept your fucking hands off of her!"

Adam was about to snap.  He didn't care how big Brock was, or how much trouble he could get in for starting a fight with a new guy.  He pushed Brock, just enough to send him a few steps backward, and returned the glare.  "She does NOT belong to you!  Or anyone else for that matter.  And I suggest you stay the hell away from her, because there are about 20 guys around here who will rip your dick off if you so much as touch her!  And that's NOTHING compared the slow, merciless way I'd kill you if you did anything to hurt her!"

"Ouch," Brock replied sarcastically.  "Well, when I get her back where she belongs, none of your little threats will matter.  She fucking loves me and will do whatever I say."  Adam was about ready to lunge at him and rip him apart.

He yelled, "You sick son of a bitch!  I don't know what you did to her, but you better hope that I DON'T find out.  Cause if I do, I will fucking kill you.  Besides, _pal_, Brit isn't stupid enough to fall for that shit and go through everything you put her through again!"

Brock laughed, "Everything _I_ put her through?  That bitch got everything she deserved!  She was getting out of control.  And believe me, I WON'T let that happen again."

Adam turned immediately and stormed away, knowing that if he made eye contact with Brock after what he just said, he'd live out one of those threats.  He walked straight to the showers, stripping down and turning on the cold water.  He needed to cool down for when he saw Britney… he had to keep her away from Brock because he was a danger to her, because she was one of his best friends, because Jay was right… he was in love with her.

AT THE HOTEL

Britney laughed hysterically at a story Adam was telling her about a trip across a frozen lake he had taken with Jay and Terry Gerrin to get to an indy show years ago.  He was just finishing up the story as he walked her to her hotel room.  They had stopped at a diner and ended up talking for what had seemed like forever.  She seemed to be having such a great time, Adam decided not to tell her what Brock had said earlier.  When they reached the door, Britney turned and stood on her toes to give Adam a hug.

"I had fun, thanks a lot," she said sweetly.  She grabbed his hands and gave them a quick squeeze before digging out her room key and sliding it in the door.  Before she got in, she turned to face him once more.  "Oh Adam?  I think I forgot something," she said, looking up at the handsome blonde in front of her.

"What's that?" he asked, looking down to meet her eyes.  She smiled, before pilling his face down for a quick kiss before heading in and closing the door.

On the outside, Adam leaned up against the door, childish grin on his face.  She was so beautiful and sweet and that kiss, though it was nothing big, sent chills up his spine, and the blood to leave his head.  The grin turned to shock as he heard Britney say his new least favorite word.

"Brock?"  Britney asked as she saw the man she used to love sitting on the couch in HER hotel room, watching TV as if it were HIS.

"Hey Brit!  Come sit down, what took you so long?"  She glanced at him nervously, suddenly wishing she had brought Adam with her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked him.

He stood and replied, "Okay, I won't beat around the bush.  I'm here because… I want you back.  REALLY bad.  I… I really need you," he pleaded.  Britney looked at him in disbelief.  Was this the same Brock who put her through all that shit and hurt her so bad?

"Brock, I…" she began before he cut her off.

"Please!  I know I've given you no reason at all to trust me but… I've changed baby, I swear!  I don't wanna hurt you!" he whined, trying to be persuasive.  He picked up a vase full of flowers and held them out to her.  He just needed to get her to say yes so that he could get that damn Copeland guy off of his back.  "Brit, please… I… I love you."

Adam stared at the wall in disbelief.  He had heard every word of the conversation.  How could Brock tell Britney he loved her after the shit he said to Adam earlier?  He was such a two faced bastard!  He prayed that she wouldn't make the wrong decision.  _Please god, don't say yes.  _When he heard her begin to speak, he listened closer.

"Brock, I… no.  I'm sorry, I just can't."

Adam heaved a huge sigh of relief until he heard the sound of loud SLAP and Britney's voice cry out.  It was obvious that he just hit her.  Adam jumped and began prying and pulling and kicking at the locked door, trying desperately to get it open.  He HAD to get in there.  He was ready to rip the damn thing off its hinges when he heard Britney crying.

"Brock… please!  Please stop.  Oh god, Brock, stop!"

What the hell was he doing in there?  Adam furiously jingled the door handle, but to no avail.  He listened in again, praying this asshole would stop whatever it was he was doing.

"Brock…"  Britney whined less fiercely, as if she'd given up hope.

There was some more banging noises and other sounds coming from the room.  When she couldn't take it anymore, she stopped trying to stifle her sobs.  Adam froze as he heard her begin to speak again.

"Brock, please don't… don't do this.. I'm not… I can't.  You can't do this…"

Adam was fuming, if Brock even THOUGHT about taking this any further, he'd have snapped.

"Shut up and calm down!" he heard Brock say.  "I'm not gonna fucking do anything else!  You're that Copeland kid's little slut now aren't you?!" he said angrily, slurring slightly.

"Brock, you're drunk.  Come talk to me when you're…"

"Shut up you stupid whore!" he yelled even more loudly.  Adam heard another slap, this time he knew it was from Britney because of her immediate apology.

"Brock, I'm sorry… I didn't mean it.  I…"

"Fuck you Britney!   You know what?  I don't give a shit anymore!  You wanna go and fuck Copeland, you go right ahead cause I don't fucking care!"

Then Adam heard the worst sound of the night, a really loud shattering SMASH, followed by more crying from Britney.  Adam jumped once more at the sound, "That was glass!" he yelled loudly, pounding on the door.

"Alright open the goddamn door!"  He was surprised when he saw the handle turn.  He was now face to face with Brock Lesnar, the man who was just screaming on the other side of the door.  He seemed amazingly calm considering how he'd just been acting.

Smirking, he looked at Adam, "Enjoy the show pal?"

Adam glared at him, "What the fuck did you do?"

Pushing past him, clad in a t-shit and a pair of sweatpants, Brock smirked once more.  "Nothing she didn't have coming to her."

"You bastard," Adam muttered, then rushed into the room when he heard Britney crying again.

He walked in and was horrified at the wrecked room, magazines thrown across the floor, shattered glass everywhere.  "Oh my god," he mouthed silently, then, "Oh no," when he saw Britney.  She had half of her back facing him, and he didn't think she knew he was there.  Her red shirt was completely torn in half, and the sight of her made Adam seriously consider leaving the room and hunting down Lesnar and pummeling him.  But he didn't want to leave her, so he decided it would be best for him to stay and make sure she was okay, although he didn't understand how she COULD be.  He looked and Britney, hugging herself as tears silently fell down her cheeks.  Adam slowly walked up behind her, trying not to make any noise.  All he wanted to do was put her in his arms and keep her there, hold her until she felt safe.  He gently sat down next to her on the couch, still managing to startle her.  She jumped, flailing her arms defensively.

"Don't touch me!  Get away!" she yelled, obviously not realizing it was Adam behind her.

"Britney!" he cried, shaking her gently, but hard enough to snap her out of it.  "Brit, honey, it's me, Adam.  Shh, you're okay, I got you," he said as she settled down against him.  Turning her around and wrapping her in a tight embrace, he gently rocked her back and forth, whispering softly to her.  "Shh, it's okay now baby, I'm here.  I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner, but it won't happen again.  I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Finally, she spoke, "Oh god Adam, it was h-horrible!  I thought he was going to kill me or something!  He could have ra-… oh god.  Adam, I was so scared."

Even though she didn't finish that statement, he knew what she was saying.  If Brock had tried to rape her… Adam didn't even want to THINK about that.  For a second, they made eye contact, and that did it.  Adam broke.  Tears filled his eyes as he looked at her, so deathly afraid of this man.

"I'm so sorry," he said.  "I heard the entire thing, I never left the door.  God, I should have done something."

"But you're here now, and you have no idea how much that means to me," she said, actually managing a smile, a watery one, but a smile no less.  She really amazed Adam, after all that just happened, managing to stay positive.  They sat in silence for a few moments, Britney's clutch on Adam not lightening up for a minute.

"Adam?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay here with me tonight?"

He looked at her hopeful face and smiled, "Of course I can sweetie.  Let's just go to bed now, you look exhausted.  We'll clean this up tomorrow."  _Or maybe I should find Lesnar and make him EAT this shit off the floor,_ he thought to himself.

"Okay," she said, fully looking at him for the first time.

When he saw that there were no marks on her face, he stood up.  Adam led her into the bedroom and helped her into the bed, checking once again just to make sure Brock didn't hurt her physically.  Wrapping his arm around her waist securely, he kissed her softly on the cheek, reminding himself not get carried away.  "Goodnight Brit," he said, and then noticed she was fast asleep.  He smiled at how at peace she looked, as opposed to her expression a few minutes ago.  He decided to enjoy the moment, her being in his arms where he knew she belonged, and decided to worry about Brock and Vince in the morning.  He kissed her once more before he too was sound asleep.


	4. Part 3

PART 3

THE NEXT DAY

    Britney slowly opened her eyes and looked at the clock, which read 10:38 A.M.  She blinked and went to move, but there were hands wrapped around her waist.  "What the hell?" she mumbled underneath her breath.  She never felt hands like these, they were gentle, unlike Brock.  She remembered the night before, sighing happily when she recalled that they were Adam's arms, not Brock's.  She was no longer shaken up like she was the night before, after all, it wasn't like he had never done something like that before.  She turned over, facing him, surprised to see his eyes already open.  He looked wide awake, and Britney knew he must have been up for awhile. 

"Hey," he said, giving her a soft smile.  "Good morning."  

"Good morning," she said in reply.  Raising an eyebrow, she asked him, "How long have you been awake?"  

He chuckled lightly, "About 25 minutes, why?"  

She glanced at him for a moment, "You didn't have to wait for me, you could have gotten up."  He shook his head, smile forming once again.  

"Nah, I like watching you sleep."  Mentally cursing himself again, he thought, _Great, now she probably thinks I'm an obsessed stalker.  Smooth Adam, REAL smooth.  _He rushed to continue, "Sorry, that came out wrong.  I just meant that you looked really at peace while you were asleep.  It's very calming."  

She smiled genuinely, "I understand what you mean."  She looked at him for a minute, drinking in his handsome features.  He really was a beautiful person, and she was so grateful to have him.  Little did she know, Adam was thinking the exact same thing.  He really was content watching her sleep, she really did have a calming affect on him.  Just then, the hotel phone rang.  Sighing as she stretched out to grab the phone, Britney answered.  

"Hello?" she said, somewhat groggily.  

"Is that damn Copeland still with you?  How long can the punk go anyway?!" a brash voice yelled from the end.  Gasping, Britney slammed the phone down as she could, causing Adam to jump.  

"What happened?!  Was that Brock?" he asked, talking her arm in his hand, noticing that she was trembling a little.  

Nodding, she replied, "I don't think I can take much more of this."  Adam ran his fingers through his hair.  

"I'm going to Vince… today," he said furiously.  

"You can't!  I mean… Stephanie already went to him and Vince flipped on her," she replied sadly.  

Adam thought to himself, _'I know, I was there.' _ Instead of saying that out loud, he decided on, "Well, maybe that's because nothing happened.  Brock attacked you last night.  You need to tell Vince, and…"  

"NO!" she cried, jumping up into a sitting position.  "You CAN'T tell Vince!  He can't find out about this Adam!  I just… please don't."  He frowned at the hopeless tone in her voice.  

"But why?  If we don't go to Vince now, Brock is getting away with what he did!" he pleaded.  

"He always does.  Look, just don't go tell Vince… I'm gonna go get dressed now, thanks for staying with me," she said, standing up and heading to the bathroom, leaving Adam sitting up on the bed, mouth dropping open.  

How could she just NOT tell Vince what had happened?  What was she afraid of?  Judging by her comments on Brock always getting away with things, he assumed he had done something like this before.  He wanted to confront her about it, but decided it would be best to just leave her alone for a little while.  Adam stood up and got ready to head back to his room to get new clothes.  He stopped at the closed bathroom door and knocked.  

"Hey, I'm going to my room to get some clothes, okay?"  

He heard a quiet sniffle, and she simply said, "Yeah."  

Gazing into the other room, Adam realized that it was completely trashed.  "Uh Brit?" he asked.  "Do you want me to clean this stuff up on my way out?"  

"No."  

"Are you sure?"  he asked.  

"Yes."

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at the brown door separating them, wishing it wasn't there.  

"Yeah."  

"Are you sure?" he asked once more, concerned.  

After a long pause, she answered, "Yeah, please go."  

He frowned, "Okay, I'll see you in a little while then, I guess."  With that, he walked out of the room, picking up the magazines and stacking them neatly on the table.

IN THE BATHROOM

    Britney sat on the closed toilet seat lid, allowing tears to spill over once again.  She wanted SO badly to go to Vince and tell what happened, but she knew she couldn't.  If she told him, she doubted he'd even believe her, but if he did, explaining everything was not something she looked forward to.  The fact that Brock always got his way and acted like a saint around her uncle didn't really help the situation.  She felt horrible about making Adam leave like that, but she couldn't cry in front of him AGAIN.  He had really been so sweet towards her, especially in the past few days.  He had really always been that way.  He was one of the first people not to label her because of her relation to the McMahon's, specifically Shane and sometimes Stephanie.  And when Paul dumped Stephanie, Adam was the first one to make friends with her.  She thought about how he reacted to Brock calling her, how furious he was.  The intensity on his face was scary, but it was also sexy as hell.  Standing up, she turned on the water, washing her face and brushing her teeth.  She left the bathroom, walking into the living room, where pieces of shattered glass were still all over the floor.  There were no vacuums, and Britney checked about 8 times too.  Finally, Britney gave up and called the front desk.  She made up a story about how she and her boyfriend had gotten in a fight, and SHE had thrown the vase.  She apologized profusely, asking the lady to send up a vacuum so she could clean it.  The woman, luckily, was extremely sweet and said, "Oh, I understand how relationships can be.  Just clean up the bigger pieces, and when the room is cleaned we'll get the rest.  And I hope everything works out for you and your boyfriend."  Britney smiled, "Thank you so much."  She hung up the phone and went out to clean up the room.

LATER THAT DAY

    Amy sat alone in the women's locker room, she was one of the first to arrive.  As she flipped through a magazine, there was a knock on the door.  

"Amy, it's Adam."

"Come in," she said, watching the tall blonde Canadian walk into the room.  

"What's up?" she asked him.  He looked a little too uneasy for her liking.  

"I… uh… uh…" he started, not sure of how to tell her this.  

"Spit it out," she said, smiling.  

"Brock attacked Britney last night," he finally spit out.  

"What?!" she gasped jumping up out of her chair, smile dropping to a frown.  "Is she okay?"  

"Yeah, she'll be okay.  Physically at least," Adam said, sitting down on the bench.  

Amy raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"  

Adam continued, looking at the lockers straight ahead.  "He really fucked her up Ames.  I heard the entire thing, I was right outside the door, but it was locked.  I was damn close to tearing the whole door off its hinges.  But, listening to what was going on in there, it just tore me apart.  You had to have been there, to hear her crying.  She was so scared."  Amy's heart sunk as she sat next to him.  Adam, Amy and Britney had always been best friends, but Amy never saw Britney cry, ever.  

"Adam?" she asked, "What exactly did he do?"  She looked at his pained face for a minute, she realized it must be really hard for him to do this.  

He hesitated a moment before answering, "He… well, I know he slapped her, hard, on the face.  Her shirt was completely torn in half.  She could barely speak when I got to her, but… she, uh, he… he was gonna… rape her."  Amy eyes widened as she felt tears fill them.  

"What?!  Oh god, this is not good!  Why didn't you guys go to Vince?" she cried.  

"I tried!" he replied defensively.  "Brit begged me not to, I can't do it alone and I can't make her!"  Amy pulled her long red hair out of its ponytail.  This was really bad, but when she looked at Adam, so upset and hurt and confused, she couldn't help but blink the tears away and smile.  He really cared about Britney and seemed to be completely head over heels.  Just then, Adam looked up at her.  

"What are you smiling about?" he asked, almost sounding a little offended.  

"I think Brit will be just fine.  She's in good hands," she replied.  

"Yeah, I know all the guys will protect her," Adam said sincerely.  

Gently touching his cheek as she stood, she answered, "I was talking about you."  Adam smiled coyly and as he was about to respond, the door opened and Trish and Nora walked in.  

"Hey Amy, hey Adam.  Adam, you gotta get out so I get ready for my match," Nora said nicely.  

"Yes ma'am," he said, finally cracking a full smile.  "Bye Ames, bye girls."  After they said goodbyes, Adam left the women in the locker room to prepare for their matches.  

AFTER THE SHOW THAT NIGHT

    Adam was putting ring gear in his bag, getting ready to leave the arena.  

"Hey Adam," Jay said, coming in and patting him on the back.  Adam stood and saw his friend standing behind him.  

"Oh, hey Jay," he replied, somewhat distantly.  Having known Adam for so long, Jay picked up on it immediately.  

"What's wrong man?" he asked, concerned.  Adam sighed, zipping up his bag.  

"Nothing.  It's just this whole thing with Britney, it just… bothers me," he said, telling the truth.  He knew he wouldn't be able to lie to Jay about it.  15 years of friendship will to that to you.  

"I know man," Jay replied.  "We're all worried.  We know this guy is dangerous."  

_You have NO idea, _Adam thought.  Suddenly, the locker room door opened and in walked Brock Lesnar.  

"Let's go Adam," Jay said, noticing the rage in Adam's eyes at the sight of the man.  Grabbing him by the arm, he tried to pull Adam out of the locker room, but Adam yanked his arm free.  He walked up to Brock, Jay right behind him, spinning the big man around to face him.  

"Oh hey Copeland!" Brock said, evil smile forming on his face.  "Why the hostile face buddy?" he continued, noticing the expression Adam was wearing.  

"Don't 'buddy' me you asshole," Adam said, clenching his teeth as Jay tightened his grip on his friend's arm.  

"You are so lucky that there are 35 guys in this room. Otherwise, I'd fucking…"  

"What?" Brock interrupted.  "Beat my ass?  Oh wait… what were the other ones?  Oh yeah, you gonna rip my dick off?  Slowly and mercilessly kill me? I DARE you to try and pull any of that on me," he taunted.  

"Come on Adam," Jay pleaded, "Just drop it."  

"Don't push me Brock, or I WILL pull ALL of that on you," Adam threatened.  Brock glanced at the locker room, staring wide-eyed at the conversation, before replying.  

"You know, you talk a lot of shit that you sure as hell don't back up!" Brock said before pushing past Adam, who in turn stormed out of the room, dragging Jay with him.  The rest of the locker room, even the loud-mouthed Paul Levesque, was in a silenced awe, except for a hushed, "Dude," slipping from Rob Szaktowski's mouth.

    Outside the locker room, Jason tried to calm Adam down.  "Come on Adam, don't worry about it.  Don't pick fights with this guy because of some shit that happened years…"  

"Fuck you Jay!" Adam cut him off.  "You have NO fucking clue about what's going on!"  Jay looked at his friend, concern flooding his face at the sight of Adam's pained face.  

"Adam, what the hell are you talking about?"  

"He attacked her last night, in her hotel room.  God, Jay, she was so scared.  She just looked so helpless.  It crushed me, I could barely speak."  

"But you sure as hell can do some talking now!"  Adam and Jay turned to see Britney standing behind them, looking pretty pissed off.  

"Hey Brit," Adam said, moving his arm to reach out for her.  He frowned when she smacked his arm away.  She looked at him angrily, he couldn't believe she was angry with him. 

"Come on Adam, don't you have anything to say?" she said crossly.  Before he could answer, she continued.  "You sure as hell did a lot of talking earlier!"  Both Adam and Jay stared at her, mouths dropping open.  What the hell was she talking about?  

Obviously not waiting for him to speak, she went on, "How DARE you talk about last night after I told you specifically not to!  I had everyone in the entire mother fucking company coming up to me asking questions about something I'm not particularly interested in talking about."  Adam's heart dropped at the site of her.  While she did look really pissed, she also looked so exhausted, he'd never seen her this way before.  He didn't know what to say to her.  

"Brit, I… I'm sorry.  I only told two people."  

She continued glaring at him, "People talk!  Look, I really do appreciate you trying to help me and all, but I just don't need it.  I need you to stay away from Brock and leave this whole mess alone," she said, a little less fiercely.  

"Uh guys?" Jay chimed in.  "I'm gonna leave you two alone, I'll catch you later."  Both Britney and Adam nodded and then Britney repeated herself.  

"Please Adam, just let it go."  

Adam eyed the young McMahon and didn't like how hopeless she looked.  "I can't do that, I care about you too damn much to just forget about it.  I can't stand to see him do this to you," Adam said sadly.  He looked away for a moment, unable to stand seeing her so upset.  

Suddenly, she spoke, "What am I supposed to do?" she asked, talking to herself really.  "I mean, even I DID go to Vince, he's not gonna fire him or anything… he loves Brock, cause Brock will kiss his ass on the spot.   Don't get me wrong, I love Vince more than anything.  He's been like a father to me.  But when you've got an ego like my uncle does, an ass-kisser is your best friend.  It's useless."  

Adam didn't wait long to reply, "But it's not useless!  Brit, you've got all of us, especially me, on your side!  I swear, I will do everything in my power to keep him away from you, but you gotta help me.  Promise me you'll tell Vince," he pleaded.  They made eye contact for a second, then Britney's eyes darted away quickly.  He didn't like how uneasy she appeared, when she knew she could trust him.  

"Adam…" she started slowly, "…no.  I can't tell Vince, I'm not going to!  At least not until next time, maybe.  But I'm not making any guarantees."  

After that, she mumbled something about meeting Stephanie somewhere and sauntered off.  When she turned the corner, Adam sank back against the wall.  That entire conversation just put an even bigger knot in his stomach.  He thought about her last statement, _"Not until next time, maybe.  But I'm not making any guarantees."  _For some reason, he felt that "next time" he wouldn't be able to get to her quick enough.  Brock would have his way with her and leave her and she'd be back where she started ----- alone and afraid.  Adam didn't want her to be either of those things ever again.  He loved her, regardless of whether or not she loved him back, and he only wanted her to be happy.  There HAD to be a way to get through to her, some way to make her realize that she needed someone's help, and that HE desperately wanted to be that someone.


	5. Part 4

Here's the next couple of chapters.  Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far!  Keep em coming!!

PART 4

AT A HOTEL (A FEW WEEKS LATER)

Britney sat alone in the hotel room she was supposed to be sharing with Amy.  Amy was spending the night with Matt, the two of them had been doing that a lot lately.  Normally Jeff, who usually stayed with Matt, would come and stay with her, but he wasn't tonight.  When he came to her door, she asked him where his bags were.

"It's in Trish's room.  She's been rooming alone since Drew and Stacy got together so I thought I'd… keep her company," he replied.

Britney frowned, "Oh."  She was disappointed, she like rooming with her blue-haired friend.  But, she understood that Jeff, whether or not he would admit it, had developed a little crush on the blonde from Toronto.  When Jeff saw Britney frown, he put a hand on her arm.

"You can stay with us to if you want," he said sitting on the bed.  Britney moved to the window, gazing out at the view.

"No that's okay.  Thanks though," she answered.

Jeff studied Britney for a moment.  She just hadn't been herself since Brock showed up and started messing with her.  She'd been very shaky around all the guys, with the exception of Adam, himself, and Chris Irvine.  Jeff secretly wished that Adam and Brit would get together, they already cared about each other so much.  Jeff knew, through a few LONG conversations with Adam, that the Canadian was completely in love with Britney, and suspected that she probably felt the same.  After realizing his mind had drifted, as his often did, he returned his gaze to Britney.

"So… are you coming out with us tonight?" he asked hopefully.  She hadn't gone clubbing with them in what seemed like forever, and he hoped she'd decide to go.  She and him were always the first ones to hit the dance floor and the last ones to leave.

But, he had no such luck, as she replied, "Nah, I think I'll just stick around here."

Jeff pouted, "Oh come on!  Please?  I miss having you as my dance partner!  Pretty please?"

"NO! Jeff, I just want to hang around here tonight, okay?" she replied stubbornly.

"Well, do you want me to stay?  I'll stay here and hang out with you," he offered.

She declined, "No, just go.  Have fun, and don't worry about me.  I'll be fine, I promise."

He sighed, "Alright.  I guess I'll see you later then?"  He nodded as he came to her, giving her a quick hug before walking out the door.

Britney stood, staring out the window for at least twenty minutes.  She was in a trance, really not thinking about anything at all.  Therefore, she didn't sense the man walking up behind her.  She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped, almost screaming.  She turned and looked up to find Adam Copeland, not Brock Lesnar, behind her.

"Hey, sorry for scaring you.  The door was open," he said as she eyed him, still a little shaky.

"It's okay," Britney replied.  "How come you're not out with everyone?" she asked him curiously.

"Didn't feel much like going out tonight.  But I was just about to ask you the same question," he answered her, waiting for her response.

"I'm kind of tired," she said.  "Listen, do you wanna… I don't know… just hang around here with me, so we're not alone?"

Adam smiled at her, "I'd like that."

He followed her out into the living room, plopping down next to her on the couch as she turned on the TV.  After flipping through the channels, they put on an HBO comedy special.  They watched in silence, with the exception of a little laughter.  Things between them hadn't been the same since she'd blown up at him a few weeks back.   She had practically avoided him since then, and decided that since he obviously wasn't going to bring up the topic, she'd just apologize herself.

"Adam," she said, turning to face him.  "I'm sorry about that whole episode I had a few weeks ago.  I kinda blew up at you for no reason, and I really am sorry.  None of this is your fault, and I had no right to…"

"It's okay, really," he assured her, smiling.  "Honestly Brit, I don't think there's anything you could do, especially when it comes to Brock Lesnar, that would piss me off."

"Are you sure?  Cause I swear, I didn't mean any of it.  You're one of my best friends, and I don't wanna lose you over some stupid comments I made," she said, seemingly all in one breath, as though she didn't want to forget anything.

He laughed softly, "Really, it's okay.  I shouldn't have been talking to people about it anyway when you asked me not too.  Let's just forget about the whole thing," he suggested.

Britney nodded, and almost instantly, they lost interest in the show and began talking about everything, much like they did that night in the diner.  Somewhere along the way, Britney got up to get them drinks.  All of a sudden, her cell phone rang.  She picked it up off of the table next to the couch.  When she answered it, she quickly recognized Jeff's voice on the other end.

"Hey Rainbow," she said.  "What's up?"

Adam smiled as he reclined back onto the couch, taking a sip of his drink, listening to Britney's talk to Jeff.  Britney returned the smile as she awaited Jeff's response.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come get you?  It's still early," he asked.

"No, I'm cool, I found friends to hang out with," she yelled, knowing it would be hard for him to hear her from the noisy club.  Watching her suddenly yell in the silent room they were in made Adam crack up laughing.  When she looked at him, he put his hands over his ears dramatically.  In response, she stuck her tongue out and kicked him playfully on leg before listening into Jeff again.

"Oh okay, that's good.  I just didn't want you to be alone," the younger Hardy called, then continued.

"I'll let you go then, you three go then."  Britney made a puzzled look at his statement.  "What do mean, 'you three'?" she asked, confused.

"Isn't Jay with you?" an equally confused Jeff replied.  As Britney looked at Adam, who also looked pretty damn confused, she answered Jeff.

"No, Jay's not here.  I haven't even seen him all day, why would he be here?"  Jeff paused for a moment, thinking of where Jay could be.

"I don't know, Rob saw him earlier and he said Jay wasn't coming till later.  I just assumed since he wasn't here yet he stopped in to see you or something," he finally answered.

"I guess so," Britney said as Adam's cell phone began to ring.  As he answered it, she told Jeff she'd keep an eye out for Jay and that she'd call him later.  She ended the call, then turned to Adam to listen to his conversation.

"Hey Jay, we were just talking about you.  I think Jeff's looking for you… you're WHERE?! What the hell happened?"

Britney saw the quick changes of emotion on Adam's face as he talked to Jay and sat up more, trying to understand what was going on.  The words Adam was saying were too vague for her to completely understand what was happening.

"What?!  Oh my god, are you alright?" he asked frantically.  "Yeah, I'll be right there," he said before hanging up his phone.

"What was that?  Is Jay okay?  Where is he?" she asked, eagerly awaiting his answer.

Adam was so deep in thought that he didn't even hear her.  "Stupid mother fucker," he muttered under his breath.  Slapping him on the leg, she questioned the Canadian again.

"What happened Adam?"

He frowned, looking down to meet her glance.  "Jay wants me to pick him up… at the police station."

Britney's eyes widened, "What?!  What did he do?"

"Nothing," Adam said.  "He defended himself, kind of in a fight, and the cops wanted to question him about it."

"Oh my god," she replied.  "Who did he get into a fight with?"

Adam hesitated for a long moment, deciding she'd find out eventually and he'd rather her hear it from him, he answered, "Brock Lesnar."

AT THE POLICE STATION 

Jay sat in a waiting area inside the police station.  His head hurt like a bitch, but it didn't taint his memory of what happened earlier, when he approached that asshole Brock Lesnar…

_Jay was getting ready to leave the hotel to go to the club.  Closing the door to his hotel room, he turned and walked out, catching a glimpse of Rob walking behind him.  He stopped to wait for him._

_"Hey dude," Rob said, walking over and patting Jay on the back._

_"Hey Rob," he said as they began to walk down the hallway, both heading to the club._

_They engaged in some small talk as they made their way to the elevator and down the hotel lobby.  Once they reached the lobby, they were about to walk out the door, when something caused Jay to stop in his tracks.  From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Stephanie McMahon.  Jay grew to like both of the McMahon girls, but after a short while realized that his best friend had completely fallen in love with one of them.  It was when this whole mess with his already good friend Britney started that he began to take notice of the blonde's cousin.  As they grew closer, he grew a very strong fondness toward the pretty brunette.  But it wasn't just Stephanie who caught his eye, but the person who was talking to her.  Brock Lesnar._

_"Uh oh," Rob said as he looked over to see what Jay was glaring at.  Stephanie looked really uncomfortable, and Jay imagined she'd rather be alone in a room with Paul Levesque than in a crowded room with Brock Lesnar._

_"Hey Rob, you go ahead.  I'll meet you at the club," Jay said, becoming very suspicious of the man cowering over Stephanie.  He started to walk away, but Rob grabbed his arm, much like Jay had done the other day with Adam._

_"Hey, do you want me to go over there with you?" Rob asked, not letting go of the Canadian's arm._

_Shrugging his arm free, Jay responded, "No… I gotta do this on my own."_

_Shrugging, Rob left Jay by himself after saying, "Whatever you say.  Good luck dude."  J_

_ay inhaled deeply and made his way over to Brock and Stephanie, the huge man still having his back to him.  He made eye contact with Stephanie, who in turn looked at him like he was a savior.  Noticing that her attention had shifted away from him, Brock turned to see what Steph was looking at._

_"Oh, hey Reso," he said, sounding a little relieved._

_For a second, he thought maybe Adam was behind him, and Brock knew the tall Canadian was a short fuse away from exploding on him.  Jay didn't answer him, simply staring at Brock as he crossed his arms over his chest.  _Damn punk, _Brock thought to himself. _ I'm never going to get to Brit with these damn Canadians up my ass.

_"Can I help you?" Brock asked, a little less enthused than he sounded when Jay first approached him.  Jay didn't know what to say as Stephanie's eyes pleaded with him to get her out of there.  Thinking fast and someone desperately, an idea popped into Jay's head._

_"I'm just here to pick Steph up," he said, a small smile forming on his lips._

_Brock raised an eyebrow, "For what, may I ask?"  Moving in closer, using his size to intimidate Jay, he awaited an answer.  _Shit, _Jay thought.  _Why AM I here to pick up Steph?  _A million and a half reasons scattered through his brain, but luckily, Stephanie made a quick decision for him._

_"Not that it's any of YOUR business, but Jay is picking me up so we can go on our date," she said, much more confidently now that Jay was there._

_"Y-yeah that's right.  Stephanie and I are going on a date tonight," Jay added as Brock's glance shifted back and forth between the Canadian and the brunette McMahon.  Stephanie stood, putting Jay's arm over her shoulder as they turned away._

_"Bye Brock!" they said simultaneously, nearly bursting into laughter after leaving an apparently dumfounded Lesnar behind.  But Brock couldn't resist cracking his next comment._

_"Good luck man.  I'm willing to bet this one's just as much of a wildcat in bed as her cousin," he smirked, causing Jay to stop and spin to face him, twirling Stephanie around with him._

_"Take that back dickhead," Jay said, feeling his blood pressure rise._

_"Uh oh, did I hit a sensitive spot?  Come on, seriously!  How many guys do you think these two have screwed?!  I bet I could get come great stories from the boys if…"_

_"Fuck you Brock!" Jay suddenly screamed, causing all of the people in the somewhat ritzy hotel lobby to look up.  Brock's eyes widened at Jay's outburst.  The other day when he had had his words with Adam, Jay seemed very quiet and almost shy.  This was definitely NOT the case now.  "Listen pal, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but this shit has got to stop.  Let me ask you a question Brock.  What is your definition of a wildcat?  Last I checked, holding a woman down and FORCING her to have sex with you does not make HER a wildcat, it makes YOU a rapist!" he cried, once again loudly enough for everyone to hear._

_"Woah, just because I may have been a little forceful doesn't mean she didn't like it on that night… or on other occasions," Brock insisted.  "And as far as Ms. Stephanie over here, I'd say YOU'VE probably had more experience in the area!"  Jay was fuming.  Now he understood why Adam wanted to have this guy killed._

_"You bastard!  Just because these two wont give you any doesn't mean they're giving it to everyone else.  You really need to show some respect for them cause they ARE women.  Don't get bitchy just because you have to play with THAT every night," Jay said angrily, pointing at Brock's hand, which was resting on the back of a couch.  By now, almost everyone in the lobby had their eyes locked to the two men, with Stephanie McMahon holding onto the shorter blonde's hand as if for dear life._

_As Jay made his last comment, Stephanie winced.  Knowing Brock as long as she had, she knew he was a proud man, especially when it came to whom he was getting with and how much he was getting it.  She watched the cocky smirk on her cousin's ex-boyfriend's face merge to an angry glare.  She knew what would happen next.  A long time ago, her brother Shane had made a similar comment to Brock when he had gotten into a fight with Britney, and Brock broke Shane's arm.  If history were to repeat itself, Brock's reaction would be a violent one._

_"Okay Jay, th-that's enough.  Let's just get out of here," she insisted, tugging at his arm.  Jay matched Brock's glare with one of his own, refusing to budge.  _God damnit!  Why do guys have to be so full of themselves?! _she thought._

_"You heard the woman, get out of here!" the Next Big Thing told him._

_"Fine, we're outta here.  Have fun with your hand tonight," Jay replied, smirking._

Uh oh, _thought Stephanie.  As Jay went to turn away, Brock raised his arm and swung, catching him square in the jaw.  The blow, coming from the obviously stronger man, knocked Jay completely off balance, causing him to stumble backward.  "Jesus Christ!" the Canadian yelled, hands flying to his face to make sure his jaw was still in place.  He looked up at Lesnar, furiously shuffling his feet until he was standing upright.  Brock leaned down a little, menacingly taunting Jay after he hit him.  Never in a million years would Brock had expected Jay's retaliation to be a physical one.  Jay kicked Brock in the shin, bringing his face level with the range of Jay's swing.  The Canadian's fist connected with Lesnar's cheekbone, catching him off guard and sending him backward.  He would never admit, but Brock knew that he was completely taken aback by how much that punch had hurt.  The back of his leg his the couch, causing him to tumble over backwards.  Before he went completely over the back, the Next Big Thing grabbed Jay's arm, pulling him over as well.  The two began brawling, with Brock getting the upper hand of nearly the entire fight.  Stephanie yelled for security as she watched Jay fight for her and Britney's honor.  Well, it wasn't really a fight, more like Jay getting the hell beat out of him, but her heart still swelled at the thought of him fighting for her.  Within a minute or so, security guards dog piled Brock, wrestling him off of Jay.  While it took four of the five guards to tame Brock, Jay willingly walked over to the fifth._

_"Guess I'm going for the ride too?" he asked._

_"Yeah, but I wouldn't worry too much.  The manager's only pressing charges on that one, according to what a clerk told her," the officer replied._

_As they led the two out separate doors, Jay turned, mouthing to a bewildered Stephanie, "I'm sorry."  She smiled at him as he left, then turned her attention to the manager who was currently asking her what was going on._

"Jay!"

Jay snapped out of his daze when he heard a female voice, looking up to see Britney and Adam approaching him.

"Hey guys," he said, wrapping his arms around Britney as she hugged him.

"Dude, you're getting a really bad black eye!" Adam exclaimed, as Britney gently moved a hand over his cheek.

"Yeah, I know.  It hurts like a bitch," he muttered.

"So what hap… I mean, what's their reason for bringing you here?" Adam asked, stuttering a little.  His hesitation caused Jay to look up at him.  Meeting his friend's eyes, he noticed they motioning to little blonde sitting with them.  Adam didn't want to ask what happened in front of Britney.  Jay decided it would be best to go along with it.

"I don't know.  I guess they just wanted to question me.  But it's okay cause the manager said she's not pressing charges on me, just Brock."

"Good," Adam replied.  "So where's he at?  Hopefully they gave him the chair," he said dryly.  Neither of them noticed the look Britney shot at Adam after his statement.

Jay managed a little laugh, "Ha, ha.  Don't think so man, not for this crime.  He's sitting in a cell right now, waiting for someone to come pay his bail."  Adam suspected that Brock would be there for a while, he didn't seem to be a guy with many friends willing to bail him out of jail.

"Um guys?  I'm gonna go to the bathroom okay?  I'll be right back," Britney said suddenly, standing up and leaving before either of them could say anything.  Walking down the hall, she heard Jay's voice, "That was weird.  She felt horrible for lying to them, especially to Adam.  _Well, I'm not really LYING.  I am going to the bathroom, just stopping somewhere else on the way, _she thought as she sped down the hall, leaving to very confused blonde Canadian's to wonder.  As much as she hated doing what she was doing, she had to.  She had to protect her friends, especially now after what happened to Jay, and she knew this was the only way to do it.


	6. Part 5

Probably gonna go up to Chapter 7 or 8 with this update.  I have about 21 Chapters written already but I don't want to post it all yet so I can stay ahead.

PART 5

THE NEXT DAY

Adam walked with Jay down a hallway in the Allstate Arena, where Smackdown was being held that night.  Adam noticed that Jay seemed a little down in the dumps, walking next to him in a complete silence.

"What's wrong with you?" Adam finally asked, unable to stand the unusually awkward silence anymore.

"Nothing," he automatically replied.  It was obvious to Adam that there was something wrong with his friend, and he was set on finding out just what it was.

"Don't give me that shit," he said before repeating his question.  "What's wrong?"

"NOTHING, Adam," was the reply.

"William Jason Reso…" he warned, using Jay's full name, which he learned from Britney and Amy could be very effective in making people talk.

"Damnit, you full named me!  You're so fucking persistent!  Okay, so I sat in a police station for an hour and a half with a black eye that I got from getting my ass kicked, defending the honor of two of my best friends, right in front of Stephanie!" Jay cried in one breath.

Adam looked at his best friend, a knowing smile forming on his face.  "What are you smiling at?" Jay asked, offended.

"Aww, Jay's embarrassed cause he got beat up and looked like a dork in front of his girlfriend!" Adam teased.

"How sixth grade are you acting, man?  I didn't even start the damn fight!  I wouldn't have even hit him if…"

"Okay, okay!  I'm sorry, I didn't realize you took this whole thing so seriously," Adam said, suddenly feeling bad about the comments he made.  He had to admit that when he heard that Brock picked a fight with Jay he was extremely pissed, but he was trying to lighten the subject up a little for his friend.

"Look man, I really am sorry.  If it makes you feel any better, Steph was really proud of you last night.  I bumped into her and all she could talk about was how you saved her from Brock," he finally said after an awkward silence.

"Yeah, well I only did it cause of the shit he was saying about Steph and Brit," Jay replied quietly, almost in a whisper.  He could instinctively predict what Adam's next statement would be.

"Wait, what did he say about Brit?" Adam questioned, and the smile began to form on Jay's face.  Adam had just heard that Brock had been bothering Stephanie, no one said anything about him talking about Britney.  Jay's eyes suddenly got a childish twinkle in them.

"Aww, Adam's upset cause Brock was making fun of his girlfriend!" he said, using the same tone Adam had a few minutes earlier.

"What?  No, I just… well, all right.  We both have crushes on the McMahon's," Adam answered, sounding a little flustered at first.

"I beg to differ dude.  While I have a crush on Stephanie, you are absolutely, positively in LOVE with Britney!" the shorter man said, amused.  When Adam didn't reply, Jay continued, "Alright, seriously Adam… when are you gonna suck it up and tell her already?!"

"You make it sound so easy," Adam said somberly.  "I don't take rejection well, you know that."  Jay knew what Adam meant.  When his previous engagement was broken off, it took him weeks to get over her, and even longer to seriously consider dating someone.

"Well then use that to ease into conversation about the subject.  Tell her what happened.  You already tell her everything else.  It'll at least let her know where you stand," Jay said, trying his best to be helpful.  Turning into the catering room, they bumped into Amy, Torrie, Stacy, and Trish.

"Hey guys!" they all said cheerily.  After saying hi, Adam pulled Amy to the side.

"Have you seen Brit anywhere?  I haven't seen her all day," he asked the redheaded diva.

She laughed softly, "Aww, Adam misses his girlfriend!"  Adam looked down at Amy, shaking his head.

"You sound like Jay.  Seriously though, have you seen her?  I just wanted to ask her what was wrong with her last night."

Amy eyed him curiously, "What do you mean?"

"At the police station, she ran to the bathroom and was there for like a half an hour.  Then she came back and told us to leave without her, that Steph was coming to pick her up," Adam told her.

"Oh.  Well, I called her earlier, but I got her voice mail.  I haven't seen her yet either, sorry," Amy replied.  "But anyway, I wonder how long Brock will be in jail.  I don't see anyone rushing out with money to help him out," Amy said smiling.

"Someone did," Amy and Adam heard from behind them.  They turned to see Chris, with Drew and Benoit behind him.

"Who?" Adam asked rather loudly.

"I saw Levesque earlier and he was telling Eric Bischoff how 'McMahon busted Brock out'," Chris explained.

"Damnit, it was Vince!  I should have known he wouldn't let his personal ass kisser sit in jail," Adam said angrily.

"Uh guys?  I don't know much about this situation, but I'm willing to bet that is wasn't VINCE McMahon that paid Brock's bail," Drew said, suddenly realizing that something could be VERY wrong.

Cocking an eyebrow, Adam questioned, "What do you mean?"

"I-I… I got to the hotel at like, 2:30 and I saw… I saw Britney and Brock going up the stairs together," Drew blurted out, feeling very guilty about not investigating when he saw this.

"WHAT?!" Amy, Adam, and both Chris's cried, turning and looking at Drew.

"Why didn't you say something to me?!" Adam asked frantically.

"I'm sorry man!  I was kind of intoxicated.  I didn't make the connections till just now.  I had no idea he was even in jail until today!" Drew said, upset at himself for not telling Adam sooner.

Then Stephanie ran over to them, frantically pushing through the pack of Canadians until she reached Adam and Amy.  The brunette grabbed onto Adam's forearms, holding on for support as she stood, trying to catch her breath.

"Steph what's wrong?"  Adam asked, worried and concerned.  "I… have to tell you two something," she panted, gesturing to him and Amy.

"What is it?" Amy asked, looking worriedly at her friend.

Stephanie took a long, deep breath, and spoke, "Britney just called me and told me that her and Brock are getting back together."

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Adam had just thrown all of his stuff into a gym bag and was prepared to head back to the hotel.  After the bomb Stephanie dropped on him earlier, he just wanted to go to sleep, knowing that in his dreams none of this shit would occur.  Britney and Brock together again?  The thought didn't settle well in Adam's stomach.  _What a turn of events_, he thought walking out of the locker room, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone.  Earlier on, he decided that he was going to take Jay's advice and tell Britney how he felt, only to have that hope crushed by Stephanie's announcement.  He couldn't believe that Britney would believe anything that Lesnar said.  Adam still hadn't figured out what happened the first time around, but he thought the encounter she had with Brock a few weeks ago was reason enough not to go back.  To his luck, he turned a corner and smacked right into Brock Lesnar.  No longer feeling the need to be friendly, Brock simply pushed through Adam.  Adam, on the other hand, had something to say, so he grabbed Brock by the arm.

"What in hell do you think you're doing?" Adam asked, glaring into the eyes of the man he absolutely hated.

"Uh, going to the locker room so I can get my stuff and leave," he offered, knowing deep down the answer Adam was really looking for.

"Don't play that dumb shit with me," Adam continued.  "What in hell do you think you're doing with Britney?"  Brock's glare turned into a cocky smile.

"Oh, you mean BESIDES going out with her?  I told you I'd get past you and take back what's MINE," he said.  Adam once again found his blood pressure rising.

"I certainly hope you don't talk to her like that," the Canadian said.  The Next Big Thing cut the little distance between them off, showing his size advantage.

"I'm not stupid, Copeland.  I know never to say what I REALLY feel, unless it's good.  As long as she doesn't get out of line, that is, which she WON'T."

"Well Brock, last I checked you weren't the judge of what is out of line for a 21 year old woman," Adam said, standing on his toes just a little to even out their heights.

"And last **I** checked, you weren't the judge of how I run a relationship!"  Adam ran a hand through his long hair, sighing loudly.

"Just tell me one thing.  Since it's quite obvious that you are not in love with her, why are you doing this?"  Adam sensed something was very wrong, and he knew Britney well enough to know that she wouldn't put herself in danger unless she felt it was absolutely necessary.

"Okay, first of all, my private life is none of your damn business.  For all you know, I could be completely in love with her!" Brock insisted.  In response Adam simply rolled his eyes.  "Anyway," Brock continued, "I'm doing this for two reasons. A, she's really hott, as I'm sure you've noticed.  And B, because I don't like you, and it's quite obvious that you two like each other.  Britney belongs to no one but me," he said, cocky smile resurfacing.  Disgusted, Adam was all but ready to smack the smug look off.

"You are an asshole," Adam spat out.

"Don't be so harsh, man.  You know you're only saying that cause you're jealous… and it eats you alive to know that I can pretty much do what I want to her and you can't do a damn thing about it," Brock replied calmly.  Adam was about to swing at him, as his fists were clenched, but a soft, feminine voice stopped him.

"Brock?  Are you ready to go?" Britney said, slowly approaching Lesnar.

At 6'5", he towered over Britney's 5'8" frame, not to mention the fact that she seemed to shrink away from him whenever he was near her.  Adam noticed that she wouldn't look at him, keeping her eyes trained on her boyfriend. _Boyfriend_, Adam thought.  _What a fucking world._  Brock looked down at her, smiling as he ruffled her hair.  He appeared to genuinely care about her, but Adam knew he was faking.

"Yeah, I just have to go grab my stuff.  You just go wait by the Women's Locker Room," he told her, shooting a glare at Adam before walking past them.

Adam looked over at Britney, hating how she now seemed to be cowering away from him as well.  She nervously darted her eyes around, mainly at the walls, before focusing them at her feet.  Part of her wanted to fling herself into Adam's arms and explain everything and beg for his help.  But she knew that the idea wouldn't work out in the long run, so she wouldn't bother.  Finally, Adam broke the silence between the two.

"I can't think of a better way to say this, so I'll just say it.  What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, desperately wanting to know what would make her WANT to be with a man who had hurt her before and would hurt her again.

"Adam, I really can't talk now.  If I'm not by the Women's Locker Room when Brock gets back, he'll get really pissed," she answered, slowly backing away.

"Just tell me why," he pleaded, moving forward to maintain a small distance between them.

Looking down at her feet once more, she replied, "I… I have to.  I want to explain, I really do, but right now I'm just trying to keep Brock away from you guys so things like last night don't occur again."

Adam was confused, "What do you mean things like last night?"  He stopped awaiting an answer when he saw the tiny blonde's eyes widen.  Brock, carrying a large gym bag, was heading back their way.  Adam and Britney glanced at each other, and he could plainly see the fear in her eyes.  Suddenly, the glance was broken when Brock moved past him, yanking Britney roughly by the arm.  Adam shook his head, and then looked in the couple's direction.  Listening carefully, he heard Brock, still tightly gripping Britney's arm.

"I TOLD you to go to the locker room.  Nowhere in the statement did I tell you to go hang out with Adam.  I TOLD you NOT to hang out with him," he said fiercely.  Upon his statement, Britney looked back at Adam, distinctive eyes begging for help.

NEXT MONDAY 

After enjoying a three-day break, the Superstar's were back on the road again.  Jeff and Chris were sitting in the Women's Locker Room, talking with Trish Stratus.  Glancing up to say hi to Lisa and Terri, who had just walked in the room, Chris smiled at Trish and his currently teal haired friend Jeff.  The only reason Chris agreed to join Jeff was because he knew Jeff was too shy to go alone.  He knew how his friend felt about the blonde.  Suddenly, the door opened and Adam walked in.

Laughing, Lisa threw a statement to the air, "Damn, they must have taken the 'Women's Locker Room' sign down!"

Ignoring her remark, Adam sat down next to his fellow Canadian.

"Hey Adam.  Before you ask, Britney's not here, and I haven't seen, heard from, or spoke to her yet today," Chris said smiling.

Not cracking a smile, Adam replied, "Actually, Chris, I was looking for Amy."

The shorter man raised an eyebrow, "Oh?  Don't tell me you've lost interest in Brit cause you're in love with Red now.  Damn, that's a little quick," he said jokingly.  But Adam, who had not been in the best of moods lately, did not see the humor.

"You're not fucking funny," he said, dryly but also loudly.  His very audible comment caused Terri, Lisa, Trish, and Jeff to look up at him.

"Sorry man.  What's up your ass?" Chris asked, growing concerned.

"Just the fact that someone like YOU has the audacity to say that I lose interest too quickly," Adam said, dry sarcasm dripping from his tone again.

"Alright Adam, that's enough," Jeff said quietly, upset at the expression on his tall friend's face.  His expression was sulking even more than it was last week.

Adam lowered his head before speaking, "I'm sorry Chris.  I… I just don't know how much more of this I can take.  It just isn't fair."

Sighing as he glanced at Trish, Jeff asked, "I understand that, but then why do you need to see Amy?"

Reaching back to pull the rubber band out of his hair, the tall Canadian responded, "Just to talk I guess.  And I was hoping that since Britney's not allowed to hang out with me, she'd at least call Amy or something."  Chris raised another eyebrow, confused at what the taller man meant.

"What do you mean?  Who said she couldn't… oh."  He stopped talking when he concluded that it must have been Brock Lesnar who told Britney she could not hang out with Adam.

"I don't get it," Jeff said.  "If Brock's doing all this shit to her, why is she with him?"

"I don't know!  She told me she HAD to, to prevent stuff like Jay and Brock's fight from happening again.  I guess she feels like she has to protect us," Adam said, much more quietly.

"I think she's the one who need protection.  And I'll be damned if we just sit by and WATCH this happen," Jericho said, his expression now matching Adam's.

"You don't know how much I WANT to help!  But how can I help her if I can't even SEE her!  I'm not giving up her though, never.  I swear, when I finally do get my hands on Brock Lesnar, I WILL beat him within an inch of his life," Adam said wistfully.  Adam felt a hand on his shoulder, and as he looked up, his glance met Terri's.  He wasn't even aware she was still in the room.

"You know, you really are the sweetest man I've ever met," the She Devil said smiling.

"That's because I love her," he told her.

"I can see that," the older woman continued, "but honey, you can't go around picking fights with people because she's not with you."  Chris could tell by the look on his face that Adam wished Terri would just stay out of his business.  He also knew that even at his most fragile, Adam could NEVER yell at a woman.  It was how growing up with a single mom taught him to be.  He was just brought up that way.

"It's BECAUSE the man she IS with is an abusive bastard," Adam defended himself, struggling to keep his composure.

"Woah, what?!" Terri and Lisa, who was also still in the room, gasped.

"Adam, I know what's going on is scary for you, but there's really nothing he's done that you could call abuse," Lisa said, making sure to be sensitive to Adam's feelings.

"Oh really?  How about telling her she isn't ALLOWED to hang out with certain people?  And if you want physical abuse, how about slapping her, throwing glass objects at her, or literally DRAGGING her out of an arena?!" Adam shot.

"Wow, we didn't know… oh my god," Lisa said, putting a hand over her mouth.  "I'm so sorry Adam," Terri said softly.  Neither of the two women were aware of the situation, and were shocked by what they had just heard.

"It's okay.  You know what the worst part is, though?  I know that if I could just get some time alone with her, I could her out of there.  If I could just TALK to her…" he trailed off.  Suddenly, a quiet voice spoke up.

"Maybe I could talk to her for you," Trish suggested, somewhat timidly.  When Adam looked at her desperately, she continued, "I-I mean Brock wouldn't care if she was with me.  I could relay whatever you want me to, unless you think it's too personal."

"You'd do that for me?" Adam asked, hopeful gaze apparent for the first time.

The diva smiled genuinely, "Of course I would.  It would be well worth it if it works."  For the first time in days, Adam's lips curved up in a small smile as he leaned over and wrapped Trish in a tight hug.

Whispering in her ear, he quietly said, "Thank you so much.  You have no idea what this means to me."

Her smile broadened, "You're very welcome."  Jeff grinned at Trish, marveling at how sweet of her it was to help Britney and Adam.

"Alright, not to break up this hallmark moment, but I'm starving.  Let's go get some food," Chris said, causing everyone to laugh a little.  They all agreed as they stood up and prepared to leave.  Before exiting the room, Jeff grabbed Trish's arm.

Grinning at the beautiful woman, he whispered to her, "You're really sweet, you know that?"  Looking up at the slightly taller man, she returned the grin.

"So are you," she said, smiling once more before taking his arm and leading him out the door with the others.

IN THE CATERING ROOM

After the six Superstars found the catering room, Lisa and Terri joined Nora, Jacqueline, and some of the other guys at a table.  The remaining four spotted Mark, Drew, Stacy, Benoit, and Matt at another table and walked over to them.  Sitting down, they all greeted each other.

Looking around at his surroundings, Chris said, "Wow, it's really like a cafeteria in here.  You know, all the little cliques sitting together.  I feel all high school-ish."  Eyeing the room after his remark, Mark had to agree with him, but couldn't resist cracking a joke, just for the fact that it was Jericho who had said it.

"Alright, lets let Jerky have his moment.  We all know that no one liked him in high school.  No one wanted to sit with him in lunch, so this is probably a new feeling," the Dead Man said, cracking a smile.

Chris shot him an offended look, "Well, _Marky_, lets not get upset just because tables were not yet INVENTED while you were in high school!"

"If you two don't shut up, I'll put both of ya'll THROUGH a table!" Matt spoke up jokingly.

Adam laughed along with everyone until he noticed Amy walking into the room.  He smiled and waved her over, but his smile faded when he saw her expression.  She looked really distraught, fisting a hand into the hem of her black t-shirt as she walked toward him.  As she neared him, he noticed her eyes were a little puffy, like she had been crying.  Only a little, but still crying, and he wanted to know why.

"What's wrong?" Adam asked, grabbing her hand and gently squeezing.  At this time Matt, who was sitting next to Adam, turned around to see his girlfriend behind him.

Jumping up and wrapping an arm around her, he asked the redhead the same question, "What's wrong, baby?"  Glancing back and forth between her boyfriend and Adam, she sighed loudly.

"Adam, Bischoff wants you in his office," she said, eyes focusing on the floor.  Adam stood, brushing off his clothes before asking her, "Does this have anything to do with why you're so upset?"

"Well… just go, please," Amy pleaded, and Adam nodded.  He patted the redhead on her tattoo covered shoulder, leaving her standing there, curling into Matt's arms.

ERIC BISCHOFF'S OFFICE 

Adam slowly walked to the room Eric Bischoff was using as an office for Raw that night.  Ever since the former WCW President signed on, Vince McMahon had put creative control of Raw in his hands, and Smackdown in Stephanie's, with him overseeing each show.  Being around Eric made Adam uneasy normally, and even more so since he'd seen Amy.  Pushing the door open, he saw the dark haired man sitting at his desk looking through some papers.

"Hey Edge," he said, "have a seat."

Before Adam sat down, he heard a sniffle coming from behind him.  Spinning on his heel, he saw Stephanie sitting on a couch, tears in her eyes and a crumpled tissue in her hand.  Instead of sitting in the chair Bischoff directed him too, he went over and sat next to Stephanie.

Putting an arm around, he asked the brunette, "Steph?  Honey, what's wrong?"

"This one was in here when Jim Ross was giving me an injury report, and she burst into tears when Britney's name was mentioned," Eric answered for her.  Adam's head shot up at the GM's remark.

"What do you…"

"AND…" Bischoff continued, completely ignoring Adam.  "She told Lita when I brought her in here to get the Heat script, and SHE teared up too!  But SHE also managed to tell me that I should inform you.  I was hoping you could tell me what in hell is going on."  Adam looked at Stephanie once more before returning his gaze to Bischoff.

"What do you mean her injury?  She was fine last week!" Adam said, hopeful that he was jumping to conclusions, but he knew he wasn't.

"Ross told me that she couldn't wrestle tonight because she cracked 4 or 5 ribs over the weekend," he replied calmly, ruffling through more papers.  _Oh no_, Adam thought, _he's starting already_.

"Steph, you don't think… he did this do you?" he asked, already knowing her answer, just not wanting to hear it.

"Uh-huh…" she choked out, fresh tears filling her brown eyes.  "Alright, who the hell is the HE we're talking about?!" Bischoff demanded, starting to get angry.

"Brock Lesnar," Adam said, gritting his teeth angrily.  The rage was beginning to build up in his system, and if he didn't think it would put Britney in worse condition in the long run, he'd hunt Lesnar down and beat him senseless.

"Nice try, pal," Bischoff snorted.  "But Brock, as well as Vince, have already warned me that you were looking to get him in trouble."

"What?!" Adam cried, looking at Stephanie, who appeared to be just as shocked at Eric's comments as he felt.

"Brock Lesnar came to me, saying Vince McMahon himself told him to warn me that you were out to get him, so I should be prepared," Bischoff continued proudly.

_Oh my god, how dense is this guy? _ Adam thought, staring in disbelief as he replied, "And you believed him?  And you don't find it odd that his girlfriend just HAPPENS to crack her ribs, while he's the only one around?  AFTER he told you I was after him?"  Eric hesitated for a moment, trying to take in all Adam just told him.  Since when was Britney McMahon Brock Lesnar's girlfriend?

"Well, Edge, I…"

"Adam," Stephanie cut him off.  "His name is Adam, Eric."

"Yeah, Adam, Edge, WHATEVER.  Look, all I'm saying is…"

"No Eric, not whatever.  My name is Adam and you better start calling me by it," the Canadian insisted, standing up and glaring at the dark haired man.

"Alright, ADAM, all I'm saying is that couples fight.  Even if what you said is true, it's not my place to step in, even if she gets hurt as a result," Bischoff stated, slowly backing away from the other man.

Stephanie winced as he said this.  Adam was a very easygoing guy, but from what he had shown her, and what she had heard from Jay and Britney, that when put in the right situation the tall Canadian had a hell of a temper.  She saw the look on Adam's face, a cross of anger and disbelief, as he stormed over to Bischoff.  He knew what he was doing was wrong and could get him in a LOT of trouble, but he didn't give a damn.  Grabbing the Raw boss by the throat, he pushed him up against the wall, lifting the smaller man up so that his feet were almost completely elevated from the floor.

"Listen up, you little prick," he threatened, voice almost in a growl.  "Couples fighting is one thing.  Boyfriend breaking girlfriend's ribs is a COMPLETELY different story!  You are just as much of a pussy as Brock is… no, you're worse.  You are obligated to protect your Superstars, and I'm sorry, _Uncle Eric_, but you're doing a lousy fucking job!" he yelled before pivoting and storming out of the room.

"Damn crazy punk," Eric muttered as he rubbed his throat, unaware of the tiny brunette still on his couch.

"You may be right about that Eric," she said, causing him to jump.  "Adam IS crazy, but it's because he loves Britney and cares about her enough to help.  Enough to do some pretty crazy shit.  If you knew what love was you'd understand why he's so crazy right now."

"Stephanie, I…"

"You may be right about Adam being crazy," Stephanie repeated, heading for the door.  As she went to pull the door shut behind her, she finished, "But HE was right about you being a pussy."

IN THE TRAINING ROOM 

Britney straightened up in her chair as a trainer finished taping up her ribs, which she had now learned were virtually all cracked.  She should have known better than to question Brock on why she couldn't hang out with Adam and Jay anymore.  She had to do her best to swallow the tears as he verbally berated her before yanking her by the hair and shoving her down the stairs.  She knew instinctively not to cry, past experiences with him had taught her that the hard way.  And of course, as always, Brock ran right to her afterward, apologizing profusely.  She could only remember a little of what he said, but one statement clearly stuck in her head.

"I didn't mean it baby, but all guys hit their girlfriends every once in awhile.  Even Adam would if you said… well if something like this happened."

For the life of her, Britney just couldn't picture Adam Copeland hitting a woman.  It wasn't till the door opened and Trish joined that she realized she had been alone.

"Hey Brit," Trish said smiling.  "They told me I'd find you in here.  How are your ribs feeling?"  Britney eyed the other diva for a moment.

"Who told you I was in here?" she wondered out loud.

"Well, Adam sent me, but Brock told me you were here," she replied nonchalantly.  Seeing the way Britney's eyes shoot wide open at the mention of her boyfriend and Adam in the same sentence, she quickly added, "He doesn't suspect a thing Brit.  I played ditz around him and said I heard you tripped and he bought it."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Britney turned to face her friend, "Good."  Trish explained to her what happened during her short meeting with Brock Lesnar.

_"Excuse me, Brock?" Trish asked, smiling brightly as she stepped up to the giant man._

_"Hey Trish, what can I do for ya?" he asked._

_"I was wondering if you could tell me where Britney was, I want to see how her ribs are," the blonde told him innocently._

_"How did you hear about Britney getting hurt?" Brock asked, suddenly nervous about what may have been going around.  Trish knew she couldn't tell him that Adam had told her outside of Eric's office.  Definitely not as "blonde" as she was acting, Trish devised an idea quickly._

_"JR told me she fell down the stairs or something, and I figured since you're her boyfriend you'd know where she was!" she said cheerily, being sure to add in a few extra giggles for good measure._

_Suddenly breaking into a smile, Brock answered, "Oh okay.  She's in the trainer's room right now.  I'm sure she'd love to see you, you know, after her accident and everything."_

_Shaking her hand, Brock chuckled to himself.  _Bitch doesn't suspect a damn thing.  _Smiling as she walked away, Trish laughed as well.  Little did Lesnar know, but she had been thinking the same damn thing._

"So, so Brock doesn't know Adam sent you?" Britney asked, her tone calming down a bit.

"Not at all," Trish answered smiling, then her expression grew serious.  "I really appreciate you trying to help everybody, but honestly Brit, YOU'RE the one who needs protection," Trish said softly.

Nervously looking at her feet, Britney replied, "I-I can take care of myself.  I don't NEED protection."  Trish sighed as she looked at the other blonde next to her.  She hated how her friend had been reduced from a strong, individual woman, to a cowering little girl, all at the hands of a man who was supposed to love her.  She almost seemed to be afraid of Trish, which really unnerved the Toronto native.

Seeing that Trish was not responding, Britney continued, "So, why DID Adam send you anyway?"  Trish half smiled at the glimmer of hope in Britney's eyes as she mentioned the Canadian's name.

"Because he heard about your ribs.  Because he's concerned about you.  Because he loves you," Trish listed, prepared to list more if necessary.  Adam wore his emotions on his sleeve, so Trish knew everything he felt for her.

"Sure he does," Britney said, sarcasm apparent in her tone.

"Britney, he's madly in love with you!  And I know you love him too, I see the way you guys look at each other.  All you have to do is leave Brock and Adam promises he won't let you get hurt again…"

"ADAM can't help me this time Trish!  And you're right, I DO love Adam, but I care about Brock too.  Besides, if I DID pack up and leave, Adam wouldn't be able to stop Brock.  I BELONG to him, okay?  Just tell Adam I'm fine and that this whole thing is my fault.  I shouldn't have questioned Brock in the first place," Britney said, the last statement almost inaudible.

Trish could not believe her ears.  _"I BELONG to him, okay?" _ How could she possibly believe all the things he told her?  _Judging by her ribs, I'd say he beats it into her,_ Trish thought to herself.  Finally deciding there was nothing she could say, she put an arm around Britney's shoulder as tears filled both of their eyes.

"We'll figure something out honey, don't worry," Trish said soothingly.  After a few moments, Britney shrugged out from Trish's arm and headed for the door.  As she was about to turn the handle, she heard Trish speak again.  "I don't like the way he treats you Brit.  But I have a feeling it'll all work out.  Anyway, I know you're not supposed to see Adam, but he told me to tell you that if you ever need him, just call.  He said he doesn't care where you are or what time it is, just call if you're in trouble, okay?"

Before the door shut all the way, Trish heard her friend's hopeful words, "Okay.  Thanks Trish."  Breathing a sigh of relief, Trish thought about their conversation.  She hoped to God that if Britney was ever in trouble, she would take her advice.


	7. Part 6

PART 6

****

MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT- ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER

Ring: Ring!  Adam turned over in his sleep, grumbling as he heard the shrill ring of his cell phone.  Getting up and out of bed, he cursed as he tripped over his piled up clothes on the way to the table.  Mumbling to himself as he picked the phone up, he answered.

"Hello?" he called, making sure his enthusiasm toward receiving this call showed in his tone.  _'This better be good,' _he thought of the person who dared to disturb his sleep.  When he heard who was on the other end, however, his eyes popped wide open.

"Adam?  Are you there?" a tiny whisper asked.

"Brit?  Is that you?  What's wrong?" he asked, not sure if he should be happy she called, or worried for WHY.

"Yeah," she said, voice still in a quiet whisper.  "I know it's late, but do you think I could take you up on that offer Trish told me about?  I need to talk to you."

"Of course! I'll come get you…"

"NO!" her harsh whisper called.  "I'll come to your room, Brock's almost asleep."

"Okay," he said, sighing as he hung up.  Now she had to SNEAK her way out?  This was so not fair for her.

He walked over to the bed and waited, sitting up against the headboard.  15 minutes passed.  Then 30.  He turned the TV on for a while.  Almost 45 minutes later, Britney STILL hadn't shown.  Deciding to investigate, Adam got up, threw his jeans on over his boxers, and headed out the door.  Making his way back around through the dim-lit halls he finally found her, walking in front of him in the direction of his door.  Walking up behind her, Adam grabbed Britney, causing her to shriek.  Realizing that something bad must have caused her to be so long, he put his hand over her mouth as he scooped her up and carried her to his room.  He expected her to fight him, but the second he touched her, she froze, seemingly in terror.  Closing his hotel room door, he placed her down on her feet.  She turned, looking straight ahead at his chest.

"You scared… the living hell… out of me," she whispered, gasping for air, since the whole way to the room she spent holding her breath.  He noticed that she had been avoiding looking at him the entire time, her facing either straight-ahead or looking down.  Bringing his hand up, he gently pressed under her chin, trying to make her look him in the eyes.  He wanted her to see that he was there to help her, not hurt her.  When he touched her, however, she stiffened, refusing to budge.

"Britney," he pleaded quietly, pushing her chin slightly one more time.  Once again, she remained stiff, not allowing her gaze to move from the floor.  Letting go of her face, he grabbed both of her hands.  Marveling at how tiny they felt in his, he watched a teardrop land on his hand.  Though he was sent into panic by the tiny drop of moisture, he remained outwardly calm.  Still holding her hands, he asked again even more softly.

"Brit, please look at me."  Reluctantly, she slowly raised her head, and Adam couldn't control the gasp that escaped his mouth.  On her left cheek was a small, but noticeable scratch, and a fresh bruise forming on her right.

"Oh my god," he said in shock, watching the tears spill down her cheeks as she clutched her ribs.  They stood there for a moment, in silence, until Adam couldn't take it anymore.

"Come here," he requested, holding his arms out to her.  Suddenly, she flung herself at him, sobbing loudly as he wrapped her up in his arms.  Escorting her to a couch, he sat down with her, not letting go for a second.  He waited until her sobs quieted down to hushed whimpers, stroking her hair gently.  Very cautiously, being careful not to scare her, he slowly pushed her off of his lap.  Looking up at him, she couldn't make out his expression, or if he even had one.

"Tell me what happened," he told her, expression not changing one iota.  Not speaking a word, she tried to pull him to her.  When he didn't move, her eyes refilled with tears.  Adam hoped she didn't notice him wince, he needed to stay strong for her sake.  He wanted her to say everything on her own, and get it all out before he could hold her again.  "Brit, please," he said, allowing a little more demand in his voice to show.

"I can't Adam," she said, starting to shrink away again, which he would not let happen.

"Yes you can.  You know you can trust me, just TALK to me, please!" he cried.  Britney swallowed hard and took a minute to gather composure before speaking.

"I… well, earlier tonight I was about ready to leave to come see you, when I heard Brock moving around in the bedroom.  I knew he was waking up, so I just threw a blanket over my jeans and shoes so they wouldn't show…" she trailed off.  Leaning back a little, Adam eyed her while she looked down, fumbling with her fingers.

"And?" he asked, pressing for her to continue.  After a few deep breaths, Britney recollected the story and told him everything from where she left off.

_Just as Britney was heading for the exit, she heard a stirring coming from the bedroom.  Shit, _she thought frantically.  _He's awake!  _Thinking fast, she dove on the nearby couch, spreading a blanket over her jean-clad legs and switched the TV on.  As the bedroom door opened, Britney saw her *boyfriend* emerge, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  Sending her a sleepy smile, he spoke to her.__

_"Hey, what are you doing up?  And out here?" he asked, lifting her up and onto his lap as Britney secretly, but frantically, fought to keep the blanket over her legs._

_"I-I couldn't sleep.  I didn't want to wake you, so I just came out here," she said._

_"Oh, okay," he said, settling back with her, noticing her wince when his muscular arm brushed over her ribs, which were still sore._

_"Oh, I'm sorry babe.  Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.  Nodding, Britney rested against him.  Sometimes, Brock could be a great boyfriend.  As long as she didn't piss him off, that is.  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something odd about her feet.  Underneath the blanket, they appeared to be too big.  Like there was something else on them… like she was wearing shoes._

_"Brit," Brock started.  "Were you planning on going out sometime soon?"  Britney's stomach dropped at his words._

_Nervously, she answered, "N-no."_

_"Well than, would you care to explain why you changed OUT of your pajamas and into THIS?" he asked, yanking the blanket off, exposing her jeans and sneakers.  Jumping up, she instinctively backed away, eyes never losing sight of him._

_"I… I can explain," she pleaded._

_"Shut up!  Where the fuck did you think you were going?" he yelled furiously._

_"I…I," she sputtered out, before he cut her off._

_"You're going to see Adam, aren't you?  I knew that Stratus bitch was up to something when she…"_

_"Don't call her a bitch!" Britney yelled, and then gasped at her actions.  Brock was caught a little off guard by her little outburst, by the distraction only lasted for a minute._

_"You're right, Trish's not a bitch.  SHE isn't sneaking out to guys' rooms left and right is she?"_

_"But I don't…"_

_"Shut the hell up!  You're fucking him too, aren't you?  Oh my god, you are turning into such a slut!" he said furiously, causing her to inch away again._

_"I'm not fucking him, or anyone else!  I'm NOT a slut," she said, but only half-heartedly._

_"YES, you are.  You are nothing more than a worthless piece of ass to all of them, even your precious Adam Copeland," Brock told her._

_"Brock, I… I'm sorry," she said warmly, hoping to soften him up a little._

_"Bullshit," he retorted._

_"I don't know what the fuck you want from me!  You are acting like such a dick right now!" she yelled, eyes instantly widening.  She knew she was in trouble now.  As she went to turn away, Brock grabbed her arm, spinning her around and pinning her to the couch._

_"Take it back, you little bitch," he snarled, squeezing her wrists tightly as he pressed them up against the couch._

_"No," she said defiantly, kicking him in the shin.  I REALLY need to learn how to keep my mouth shut, __she thought._

_Seeing the animalistic look on his face, she knew she was going to get hurt.  Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she bit her lip, preventing her from crying out when the man's fist connected with her face.  She felt the tears stinging in her closed eyes.  She knew she needed to keep still, to keep perfectly quiet if she wanted him to back off.  He didn't sympathize over people too well.  She froze, silently praying that her mouth wouldn't get her in any more trouble.  As she slowly opened one eye, she saw Brock take a step back.  Good, _she thought to herself, _he's backing off.  __Boy, was she wrong.  She saw Brock lift his leg, and she clamped her eyelids shut again.  Before she could react, not that she would have anyway, his foot kicked at her, right in her ribs.  This time she could not control the scream of pain that escaped from her lips.  Tears, which she had been fighting the entire time, sprang to her eyes as she bent over.  Falling off of the couch, she hit her non-bruised cheek against the corner of the coffee table, scraping it.  She brushed most of the tears out of her eyes, looking up at Brock.  This was when her boyfriend would get sympathetic, apologize profusely, and carry her to the bed, planting little kisses on her injuries.  But this time when their eyes met, Brock's glare still possessed that rage it had minutes earlier.  Never breaking eye contact with her, he walked to the door, gripping the handle._

_"Get out," he said, pointing to the closed door.  Looking at him incredulously, she didn't move a muscle.  "You heard me.  Get the fuck out," he said once more, anger even more present in his tone.  Britney realized that he was dead serious._

_"W-why?" she asked quietly._

_"Cause I've had enough of you for tonight.  I'm doing you a favor, really.  Get out now before I get REALLY pissed," he warned.  Slowly rising, wincing in pain, she walked over to him as he opened the door.  As she stepped out of the room, she turned to face him._

_"Where am I supposed to go?" she asked, almost sadly._

_Shaking his head as he closed the door on her, Brock answered, "I really don't give a damn."_

"And that's when you found me roaming the halls," Britney finished, tears still falling.

"I, uh… wow," was all Adam could say.

He knew that entire story had been really hard for her to tell, and he couldn't blame her.  Who would want to tell the story of how they were beaten by their boyfriend?  As he went to run his fingers through his hair, he noticed that somewhere during her story, his fingers had entwined with hers.  Britney sighed softly as she sat back on her knees a little on the couch.  Adam sighed as well.  He wanted to know everything that had happened since they had gotten back together, but he wanted her to tell him on her own, without his coercing.  Much to his surprise, she spoke again, quietly.

"I really screwed up," she told him, watching him rub his thumb up and down her hand.  He hated the way she was looking at herself, like SHE was some kind of failure, or loser.

"No you didn't.  Honey, I don't know what Brock tells you, but you don't deserve to be treated the way you are," he defended.

"He doesn't treat me bad all the time though.  Just when I… mess up," she said, almost inaudibly.  Adam couldn't understand why she defended Brock, and he doubted that she did either.

"God, Brit, what is he feeding you?  NO woman, especially not one as wonderful as you, deserves to get hit," he said softly, realizing that her mental condition was worse than he thought.

"I-I'm not that wonderful Adam," she said, head dropping between her shoulders.

"YES, you are," he said, wiping a tear from her cheek.  "I think you are the most wonderful woman in the world," he said seriously.  Glancing at the clock, not really knowing how to respond to Adam's compliment, she sighed.

"I should let you get some sleep," she said, gingerly standing up.  Moving to grip her wrists, Adam looked up at her, "Where are you going?"

She looked away from him, "I-I'm going to go now.  I think Brock might let me back in now."

Adam shook his head, "Like hell you are.  You're staying with me."

Looking back at him, she questioned, "Are you sure?"

The Canadian smiled, "Yes, I'm sure.  Come on."  He took her hands and led her to the bedroom, which she noticed had only one bed.  Walking to the bed, he noticed she was still wearing jeans.  There was no way he was going to let her go back to her room for clothes, so he reached into his bag and dug out a long t-shirt for her to wear.  By the time he was out of his jeans and situated with the TV playing in the background, Britney still hadn't emerged from the bathroom.  Getting up, he walked to the bathroom.  After gently knocking, he slowly pushed the door open.  He found Britney, clad in his shirt, sitting on a closed toilet seat lid.

"Brit, what are you doing?" he asked softly.  Playing around with her baby tee in her hands, she kept her gaze locked on the wall.

"Nothing," she quickly answered.

"Why don't you come to bed then?" he asked, wincing as she dropped her shirt upon his saying the word "bed."  Panic filled his expression as a million thoughts of what could possibly make a girl afraid of the word "bed" flew through his mind.  He knew he was going to have to move very slowly with her.  Very cautiously, he kneeled in front of her, resting his hands on her knees.

"Honey, it's okay.  I know you're scared, but I won't hurt you.  I promise," he offered, not really knowing what else to say.  When she didn't answer, he figured it would be best to leave her alone for now, let her COME to him instead of him BRINGING her to him.  Slowly standing and turning away, he stopped when he felt her tug at his hand.

New tears in her eyes, she timidly said, "You're not lying."  Adam wasn't sure if her statement was a sentence or a question.  Sighing softly, he pulled her up.

"Yes, I mean that.  I could never hurt you sweetheart."  This time, she let him lead her to the bed.  Laying her down, he carefully pulled the covers up to her neck, kissing her forehead gently before walking to the other side of the bed.  Climbing in next to her, he protectively slid his arm around her waist.  When she turned and faced him, he pulled her closer, kissing the top of her forehead once more.

"He called me a slut," she said, and Adam wondered if the tiny gasp she let out after it meant she had only meant to THINK that statement.

"Well, he was wrong," Adam told her reassuringly.  Pulling away a bit, she looked at Adam for a moment.  He gazed up at her as well, in awe of how beautiful she was, even when she was bruised up.

As Adam closed his eyes, Britney continued, "He said I was nothing more than a worthless piece of ass to all the guys, even you."  Adam's eyes shot open in the dark, and for her sake he hoped she didn't notice.  Looking up into her eyes as she looked away, he heart sunk at the sight.  She looked so lost and helpless, like she didn't think there was anything anyone could do to help her.  She actually BELIEVED everything that lunatic boyfriend told her.

Reaching out to brush some of the moisture off of her cheek, Adam replied, "And you believed him?  Brit, you know that's not true!"  Britney just shrugged her shoulders, not really having an answer for him.  Seeing her response, or lack thereof, he continued, "Brit, you are too good for him.  You need to leave him, or he's just going to…"

"Where am I supposed to go?!  Not that this is any of your business, but Brock does love me!  I know it doesn't seem like it, but he does!" she cried, sitting up in the bed.

_Oh my god, Adam thought, _he's got her brainwashed!  _"Britney, he hits you.  And Lord only knows what else he's done to you that I don't know about!  You… you can't honestly believe that he loves you," he said, sitting up next to her._

"As long as I don't screw up, he says he…"

"HE shouldn't be the judge of what screwing up is!  He's CONTROLLING you, and…"

Britney cut him off, "SHUT UP!  Just… please… shut up.  I-I know he doesn't… love me.  But, I just… I don't know.  I don't know anything anymore.  I just really HATE myself when I'm with him… but for some reason, I can't leave.  It's like, as much as I hate him, I feel like I need him that much more.  But I need to leave him, Adam, I really do.  But… I don't know where to go."  Leaning back against the headboard, Britney turned away from him, looking out the large window into the night sky.

Eyeing her intensely, Adam watched closely as the moonlight illuminated the single teardrop that was falling down her cheek.  God, he wished he could tell her that HE did love her, that he would take care of her, take care of the whole mess for her.  He would do anything to do it, too, because he couldn't stand seeing her this way.  When they first started hanging out, it was her strong-willed, independent spirit that drew him to her in the first place.  Now, she had been reduced back to square one:  alone, frightened, and downright terrified.  Adam watched her in complete silence, not moving a muscle.  Gazing at the starry moonlit sky seemed to have a calming effect on her, which in turn had a calming effect on him.  After nearly ten minutes of staring in complete silence, Britney laid down once more, turning to face Adam again.  Looking up into his eyes, she tugged at his hand again, and he laid down next to her.  Much to his surprise, she inched forward until she was right up against him, snuggling in tightly.  Adam didn't know whether he could consider that improvement, because it seemed that she trusted him, or if he should be worried, because she was so afraid of going back to Brock that she hid under a man she didn't trust.  Either way he felt better, because when she was with him he knew he could keep her safe, whether or not she realized it.  Adam almost smiled as she clung to him, until he felt the unmistakable moisture of tears on his collarbone, where Britney's head was rested.  When he put his arm around her and felt her shaking slightly, he knew she was crying again.  He didn't know how much longer it would take for his heart to sink completely out of his body, but he had a feeling it would be soon if he couldn't make her feel better.  Pushing away slightly, but making sure his arm was still around her waist, she looked at him.

"Why doesn't he love me?" she asked tearily.  Her crestfallen expression caused a jab of pain to attack his heart.  She really cared about Brock, and that man had done nothing but hurt her.  It hurt even worse to know that because not only did Adam love her, but she was so caught up in the thoughts of Brock Lesnar that he didn't think she would ever know.  Still, he was more concerned for his _friend_ at the moment.  Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear, he replied,

"I don't know baby.  I don't see how anyone could not fall in love with you the minute they meet you.  I just don't know."

As she opened her mouth to speak again, he placed a finger to her lips, hushing her.  He pulled her in close, wrapping her securely in his arms, feeling her sigh tiredly against his chest.  After a few short moments, Britney dozed and fell into a deep sleep.  Shortly thereafter, Adam followed suit.

THE NEXT MORNING 

Adam's eyes fluttered open as the sunlight poured in through the curtains.  Turning on his side groggily, he glanced at the clock on the desk next to the bed, which read 10:48 A.M.  He was extremely tired, but couldn't exactly remember why.  _Oh, yeah, it hit him suddenly.  When he reached his arm across the bed, the tiny blonde that had slept next to him wasn't there.  Thinking about her condition, both physical and mental, when she reached him last night sent him into panic over where she could be now.  His eyes sprang open and darted across the room, searching frantically for any sign as to where Britney was.  The bathroom door was still ajar, as they'd left it last night, so she wasn't in there.  __God damn it, where the hell could she be?  Jumping up in frenzy, he nearly fell over his clothes again, sending himself a mental note that in emergencies it would pay to be a little neater with his things.  He was about to turn back to the bed, throw his clothes on, and start searching around for her, until he saw a folded piece of paper on the table in the other room.  Heaving a loud sigh, he picked the note up off the table.  Before he opened it, another wave of worry washed over him.  _What if the note says she's going back to Brock?  She could be off God knows where with that… loser.  _Shaking his head, he quickly unfolded the note, satisfied with what he read._

**_Adam,_**

**_Don't worry… I'll be right back.  I'm just going to run downstairs to the hotel_**

**_cafeteria to get something to eat, cause I'm starving.  Stay there, okay?!  I'll_**

**_be back soon._**

**_--Brit_**

MEANWHILE

Britney had woken up before Adam, so she decided to go downstairs and get both of them breakfast.  She figured after he spent a night like the previous one with her, the least she could do was feed him.  When she got into the cafeteria/restaurant, she noticed that there were a handful of Superstars in there as well.  Pretending that there was something in her eye, she kept her hand over her cheek as she waved to Stacy, Drew, Torrie, and Billy Kidman.  It honestly never occurred to her that there would be other wrestlers down there, and she didn't exactly want to show off the bruise that Brock gave her.  Thinking of the bruise made her realize that Brock himself could also come down at any time, so she hurried along, hoping to just get the food and get back upstairs.  Everything went smoothly, until Mark spotted her from the corner of the room and called her over.

"BRITNEY!  Get your ass over here!" he yelled.

Mark, who was with his wife Sara, Kurt Angle, and Rob, had been like a surrogate father for Britney since she had arrived, so she knew if she ignored him he'd simply come to her.  On top of that, she was close with Rob, and considered Sara and Kurt to be good friends, so she simply couldn't ignore them.  Slowly making her way to the table, hand still covering her cheek, she sat down in the chair Rob pulled out for her, in between him and Kurt.

"Hey," they all said, as she quickly rested her elbow on the table so her hand was covering her face.

"You got something in your eye?" Mark asked as she rubbed the area under her eye for seemingly forever.

"Kinda… I think it's cause I-I… just woke up," she made up quickly.  In reality, she had been up for a good hour, laying around in the comfort of Adam's arms.  Mark shot her an I-know-better-than-to-believe-you look, but said nothing about it.

"So what's up?" Rob asked, loosely putting his arm around her shoulder.  Mark was the only one to notice her tiny flinch as Rob did so, and it made him concerned as to what was wrong with her.  As Sara, Kurt, and Rob engaged in a new conversation, Mark sent Britney a questioning eye.

"You okay?" he mouthed from across the table.

She nodded and smiled, until Sara accidentally kicked Rob in the shin, causing him to jump.  He bumped into Britney, knocking her arm off the table.  She quickly scrambled and put both her arms back into position within a matter of seconds, resting her face in her hands.  Kurt, although no one else seemed to noticed, could have sworn he saw a mark on the blonde's face when her arm and slipped.

"Hey Brit?  Move your hand for a second," he requested.  Panicking, she moved the hand covering her un-bruised cheek,  "No, the other one.  Move the other one," the Olympian insisted.

"W-why?" she questioned nervously.

Kurt didn't need an opportunity to answer, as Mark slid his arm across the table.  The Phenom carefully pushed her arm out of the way, revealing a small but obvious bruise.

"What the hell happened?!" he asked, as Kurt looked in awe.  Mark's comment drew attention from Rob and Sara, both of whom gasped at the sight.

"Well, I…" Britney started.

"Brock did this, didn't he?" Mark asked angrily, even though he already knew the answer.  Rob shook his head in a rare moment of seriousness and Sara and Kurt's eyes widened.  Kurt had heard that Brock was a little overbearing on the young McMahon, but only through stories from Adam.  The Olympic gold medallist honestly never expected THIS, he's always assumed his friend blew things out of proportion because he was like desperately in love with her.  Before anyone else said anything, Britney stood, "I… I have to go."

"Sit," Mark ordered, and the young blonde obeyed.  Casting her eyes downward, her hands restlessly played with the hem of her t-shirt.  Mark took the blank look on her face as a "yes" to his question of whether or not Brock gave her the bruise on her cheek.

"I'll kill him," Mark said through gritted teeth.

"No, Mark.  Just don't worry about it, it's nothing," Britney pleaded.

"Like hell it's nothing!  When I get my hands on that damn punk, I'm gonna…"

"Shut up Mark!" Sara interrupted, smacking her husband on the arm.

"No!  He's got no right to be doin this shit!  I'll be damned if I…" Mark continued until he was cut off again, this time by Britney.

"Why don't you stay the fuck out of it?!  Damn it Mark, just stay away from Brock, PLEASE."  The Dead Man's eyes widened at Britney's exclamation.

"I-I… I'm sorry.  I just can't help but get mad," he insisted quietly, head dropping.  He had never meant to upset her by his comments, it was just his natural reaction upon seeing what that scum had done to her.  Not responding, Britney stood abruptly, stepping back and pushing in her chair.  Fighting the tears that were threatening to escape, she turned away.  Rob grabbed her hand in an attempt to make her stay, but she yanked her arm out of his grip, storming away.  The four of them watched in silence as Britney made her way to the counters, bought a tray full of food and made her way back up to her floor.  After she disappeared into the elevator, Mark turned and faced the others.

Looking at Kurt, he said, "I think it's time we pay Lesnar a little visit."

Shaking his head, Kurt responded, "Don't think so buddy.  That will only make matters worse.  We should go to Adam first, he knows more about this than any of us do."

Sighing as he glanced at the three people he was seated with, he nodded, "Alright, fine.  We'll talk to the kid today."


	8. Part 7

PART 7

BACK UPSTAIRS

    Adam glanced up from the Sports Section of the newspaper he was reading when he heard the doorknob of his hotel room jiggling.  He put the paper down, hoping that the tiny blonde that had stayed with him the previous night was the one at the door.  Surely enough, Britney pushed the door open, making her way in with a bag filled with enough food to feed a small army.  He knew that the tiny McMahon, although she had quite an appetite, could never finish that much food alone.  

"Hey, where are the troops?" Adam asked jokingly.  She let out a small giggle and an even smaller smile before she put the bag down on the counter.  

"Very funny.  I was ACTUALLY bringing the food up for the two of us, not an army," she said.  When the Canadian laughed and nodded, she continued, "Speaking of armies, I was half-expecting you to send troops out looking for me… seeing as how I wasn't back in 2.5 seconds."  

Adam smiled, "Oh, but I was about to… until I found your note.  Then I decided to settle down… again."  He gestured to the pulled out sofa bed over against the wall.  

It was when she handed him a full plate of food that he noticed for the first time that she had developed quite a shiner under her left eye.  Dropping his plate on the counter, he walked over to her.  He tilted her face upward, thankful that she didn't refuse to move like she had the night before.  Very slowly and tentatively, he ran a finger across her cheekbone, frowning at the sight of her bluish-black bruise.  

Britney questioned his expression, "Is it really THAT horrible?"  

Suddenly, a small grin formed on the tall man's face as he replied, "Nah… not really.  Come on, let's eat."  

Picking up their plates, they sauntered over to the couch bed and sat up straight against the back of the couch.  As the TV played in the background, the two of them ate.  Well, Adam did, anyway.  After the scene she just made in front of Mark and the others, she had pretty much lost her appetite.  She felt almost sick at how she blew her friends off, especially for the way she talked to Mark, but was also convinced that there was no other way she could have reacted.  Adam's glance rested on her as she pushed the food on her plate from side to side.  She had been so quiet the entire time, which made Adam worry.  

"Are you okay?  You're so quiet," he said, instantly feeling like a complete ass.  _Of course she's quiet, she got the shit kicked out of her by her own boyfriend only a few hours ago.  Yet another smooth move, Adam. _

"Yeah, I just… well, I kinda had a little run-in downstairs," she said quietly.  

Adam's eyes widened, "With Brock?!"  

She shook her head, "No, no!  With Mark.  He saw me… and my bruise.  Needless to say, he knew where it came from, got angry, and I once again defended a man I absolutely hate."  Adam let out an inaudible sigh of relief.  He had never heard her say she actually hated Lesnar before, and he almost smiled at it.  

"I know I've said this a million times, but you are too good for him.  You HAVE to leave him before he does anything worse than what he did last night," he pleaded.  

Shaking her head, Britney crossed her legs, sitting Indian-style.  "I don't think he'd do anything worse than what he did last night," she assured him, though she didn't sound too sure of anything herself.  Adam frowned, he was hoping that the comment she made about Brock a minute ago meant she was coming to her senses.  

"But you ALSO thought Brock would never kick you out, and he did.  Please, at least go to Vince," he requested, eyes pleading.  

"No," she answered flatly.  

"Britney," he said sternly, "you promised me you would go to Vince the next time this happened."  

She shifted slightly before she turned to answer, "I ALSO told you that I wasn't making any guarantees.  Besides, you've seen how Brock has Vince and now Eric wrapped around his finger… it wouldn't work."  Adam ran his hands through his long blonde hair, trying to prepare an answer for her.  

"I-I… alright.  But at least dump Brock.  Do it for yourself, but if that's not reason enough, do it for Amy and Steph and Jeff and Chris and… well, for me," he begged.  She turned away from him, staring at a wall.  

"I… I want to, Adam.  I REALLY want to, but I… I don't know," she trailed off.  

Placing a hand on her knee, he asked her, "If you WANT to leave, why don't you just up and do it?"  

She shrugged, "I don't know really.  I guess it's because I know if I dumped Brock he'd be on my ass all the time trying to get me back.  You saw how quickly I went back this time.  I-I'm scared of him… I don't feel safe alone anymore.  I guess in some perverse way, I feel safer when I'm WITH him because as long as I'm there there's a better chance he won't do anything to me."  

Adam's heart broke at the sight of her, her eyes casting downward to the floor.  She honestly felt that there was no safer place she could be than with a man who, well… who abused her.  Adam decided that it was time for him to stop being such a pussy, for Britney's sake and safety.  He had to take Jay's advice, suck it up, and tell her that HE loved her, more than Brock ever would.  He knew that as long as she was with him, Brock Lesnar could not, and _would not_, hurt her.  He was going to personally see to it that that NEVER happened again.  

"W-would you feel safe with me?" he asked, catching Britney off guard.  

"What?" she asked him to repeat.  

"I want to know if you feel safe with me," he said steadily, trying his damn hardest to keep his voice from wavering.  Britney thought about his question.  _I guess I DO feel kind of safe with him.  _ Who the hell was she kidding?  She felt completely safe and secure with him, in his arms.  She knew she belonged WITH Adam, but she couldn't escape the thought of belonging TO Brock.  Britney looked up and met his eyes, which were staring at her intensely.  

"Yes, I do.  I-I feel safe with you," she said slowly.  Adam had to struggle to keep the huge grin from forming on his face.  

"So then you can stay with me," he told her.  

"What?" she asked again.  

"You can leave Brock.  If you're afraid to be alone… stay with me."  He hoped to God that she would accept his offer.  Britney couldn't help but be a little shocked at Adam's request.  _Did he just ask me to share a room with him?  _Looking in his eyes once more as he awaited her answer, she realized the emotion that was behind them ------ pity.  Suddenly, she felt a little sick to her stomach.  _He feels bad for me… that's why he's helping me.  _Here she was, completely in love with this mean, and he pitied her.  

"No, that's alright," she said reluctantly.  "I don't want to burden you.  I'll be okay."  

Patting her knee softly, he responded, "But you wouldn't be a burden to me."  

Sighing, she continued, "I really appreciate it, Adam.  I just don't think it's fair for you to have to go to all this trouble for me."  

"But it's no trouble at all!  I know that **I** would feel better if you were with me," he said, shaking his head.  Cocking her head to the side, she hesitated for a moment.  

"I… I just don't know if I can do it, that's all," she said sadly.  

"YES, you can.  Brit, you HAVE to leave, you know that.  And if you're nervous about being alone, well… I promise you that you will never be alone again," he pleaded, failing to keep his voice steady this time.  Britney could now tell, by the tone of his voice, that the look in his eyes was not pity… he genuinely cared about her.  He WANTED to help her, and he didn't want anything in return.  

"Will… will you help me?" she asked hopefully.  

Adam's face finally broke out into grin, "Of course I will."  Britney couldn't help but smile at him, for caring about her so much.  Her smile caused his to grow wider.  His smile faded when he saw that her eyes had filled with tears.  Jumping slightly, he hung his arm over her shoulder.  

"What's the matter?" he asked, moving his hand to softly stroke her hair.  

Shaking her head, she managed a small smile, "Nothing.  It's just that I… I feel safe here with you.  I feel like I meant to be here in this room with you.  I finally feel like… well, like I belong."  Adam could feel his heart swell, and wasn't sure if it was out of pride, or because it was beating so hard and fast that he thought it would pop out of his chest.  _ Do it now, _he thought, _kiss her._  

Ignoring his thoughts, he told her, "You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that.  I WANT you to feel that way, because you DO belong here."  

Her smile grew a little wider, "Why are treating me so… so well?"  He shifted their bodies so that she was sitting on the edge of the sofa bed, with him kneeling on the floor in front of her.  

"Honey, I treat you the way you DESERVE to be treated.  You deserve to be treated like a queen.  As far as I'm concerned, you ARE one," he told her, covering her hands with his.  

Britney couldn't believe her ears.  That was the sweetest thing ANY man had ever said to her, and she couldn't control the tears from falling down her cheeks once more.  Their eyes met, and Adam wiped some of the tears away.  As Britney gave him a huge grin, the first real smiled he's seen from her in weeks, the voice in Adam's head went off again.  _Kiss her, damnit.  If you have any balls at all, you will suck up your fears and just kiss her.  _  Deciding it was now or never, Adam slowly leaned forward.  His lips were mere inches away from hers, when he heard the door open.  _Guess that means it's never._  

"Door's open, we're coming in!" Mark's voice yelled from the other room.  

"Alright," Adam called.  _Why don't you just INVITE yourself in?! _  Adam silently cursed Mark for interrupting what could have been the greatest moment in his entire life.  Britney snapped out of her daze to see Mark, along with Kurt, Rob, and Sara walking into the room.  Upon seeing the Adam and Britney sitting inches away from each other, hands clutched together, Rob immediately felt guilty.  He sensed that, even though the others hadn't seemed to notice, that they had walked in and interrupted something.  

"Uh, we can come back later if you want," he said, sending Adam an apologetic look.  The two of them communicated through their eyes, Adam sending Rob a look telling him that he understood what he meant, and that it was okay for them to be there.  

After a moment of silence, Adam spoke, "It's alright guys.  What's up?"  The four of them walked in, grabbing seats in the armchairs spread across the room.  

"I need to have a talk with you," Mark started, pointing in the direction of Britney and Adam.  Britney slowly turned to face him, and Mark winced as he again saw the bruise on her cheek.  

"Look, Mark, I'm sorry about earlier.  I didn't mean to blow up at you, I just…"  

"Not you, him," Mark said to her, gesturing to Adam.  

Adam raised an eyebrow, "Me?  What did I do?"  He suddenly became a little nervous, because he knew how protective Mark was of Britney.  If Mark had heard anything to make him believe he was a danger to Britney, the Canadian knew he was in for an ass kicking.  

Shaking his head, Mark replied, "Nothing.  I just need to talk to you about something."  

Britney could tell by the look in Mark's eyes that he wanted her out so he could talk to Adam withOUT her in the room.  She didn't know what Mark was up to, but she decided that it couldn't be _too_ mischievous.  Untwining her hands from Adam's, she stood up, "I think I'm gonna go visit Steph."  When Adam tugged at her hand, she sent him a look that he understood meant she was okay, and that he didn't need to worry about her or Mark.  He let her go and she walked out the door, saying goodbye and apologizing once more for the incident earlier.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Once they heard the door click shut, Mark turned to face Adam again.  "I'm not gonna beat around the bush.  I came here to talk to you about us stomping the piss out of Brock Lesnar," Mark stated matter-of-factly.  

"As much as I'd love to Mark, and you know I would, I don't think Britney would be too fond of that idea," Adam said calmly.  Adam had known Mark for about 6 years, and sometimes he wondered who was the more mature of the two of them.  

"To be honest kid, Brit would defend that punk no matter what he does to her," the older man said.  

"If you came in here 20 minutes ago, I would agree with you.  But not anymore," Adam said confidently, glance shifting between Mark and the other three who hadn't yet spoken.  

"Dude, what?  What do you mean 'not anymore'?" Rob chimed in.  

Mark raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, what DO you mean?"  

Adam's face remained confident as he replied, "I talked to Britney… just now… and after what happened, she said she's… she's leaving Brock."  

"So? I don't trust him!  That son of a bitch will hunt her down and get her when she's alone…"  

"She WON'T be alone!  I offered to let her stay with me, and that's what she's going to do," Adam interrupted.  

After he figured his comment, Adam half expected to receive hours of interrogation and lecturing about keeping Britney with him.  The Canadian knew that Mark liked and trusted him, but he was just SO damn protective of Britney.  He laughed to himself as he pictured Mark laying out guidelines for him while she stayed with him.  _Okay, be with her at all times, but you can't be WITH her.  There better be two beds in these hotel rooms.  Do not, under any circumstances, break my rules… or I will be forced to take action…  _Luckily for Adam, Mark's cell phone rang, so he had to take the call.  After ending the short conversation, Mark flipped the cover of his phone shut and stood.  

"Come on Rob.  McMahon wants to see us.  Something about a tag match… or angle, whatever.  Just come on," he said as Mr. Monday Night stood.  After saying goodbye to Kurt and Adam, Sara followed her husband and Rob out of the room.  Adam almost forgot Kurt was still in the room with him, until his Olympic buddy spoke.  

"Okay, explain.  How in hell did you get her to leave?" Kurt asked curiously.  

Adam shrugged, "I don't know, man.  All I know is that I'm so happy she's doing it."  The two men sat in silence for a couple minutes, the TV still playing in the background.  "She trusts me.  She said she feels safe with me," Adam said suddenly, breaking the silence.  

"I'm honestly not surprised Adam.  I've been wanting to help her out for a while, but for some reason I just felt that it was in your hands.  I know you wouldn't let her get hurt," Kurt told his friend.  

Adam smiled at his friend, "You know, I was about two and a half inches away from kissing her… until YOU people showed up."  

The Olympian chuckled softly, "Now THAT does surprise me.  You mean you got over that fear of rejection of yours?"  

"YES, I did," Adam said, playfully flipping him off.  Then, Adam's tone grew more serious.  "Maybe it's better off that way.  I mean, you saw her run out of here when you came in.  I probably scared her off," the blonde man said dejectedly.  

"I don't know Adam.  I think it will happen soon enough.  Just remember that she's extremely vulnerable right now.  Regardless of what she says, she probably DOESN'T totally trust you, and that's okay.  Prove to her that she can trust you, and when you do, she'll come to you.  Let her come to you when she's ready.  I know she will," Kurt told him.  

Adam sighed loudly, "I hope you're right, Kurt."

STEPHANIE MCMAHON'S HOTEL ROOM 

    Britney made it to the hotel suite that Stephanie was staying in.  She couldn't get that grin off her face.  She knew that Adam wanted to kiss her, she could just feel it.  She suspected that he would have, too, if Mark, Sara, Rob, and Kurt hadn't barged in.  

Knocking on the door, she heard the brunette call from the inside, "Just a minute!"  She heard some locks jiggling around, and then her cousin appeared at the doorway.  

"Oh my god!" Stephanie cried upon seeing her cousin.  Her reaction caused Britney's smile to fade.  

"Uh, hey to you too.  What was that for?" she questioned, walking into the room.  Grabbing her hand, Stephanie led the blonde to a couch and sat down with her.  

"What the hell happened to your face?!" she asked, shocked.  

"My… face?  I don't… oh!" Britney exclaimed, suddenly recalling the bruise on her right cheek.  The Billion Dollar Princess studied her cousin intently, gently running her finger over the mark.  

"Is there really even a point in me asking where THIS came from?" the brunette questioned rhetorically.  

Britney laughed softly, "I guess not."  Stephanie was confused at the grin on her cousin's face.  _He must have hit her harder that usual, _she thought sarcastically.  

"Sorry if I sound rude hun, but how the fuck is this amusing?" she asked, almost angrily.  

Smile fading slightly, Britney replied, "Okay, maybe Brock hitting me isn't something to be smiling about.  But it being OVER is."  

Stephanie didn't quite understand, "But…"  

"Don't but me.  It's over.  I'm leaving Brock today," Britney informed her, her smile growing again.  

"Brit, this is… you're WHAT?!  You're leaving?  That's wonderful!  I'm so proud of you!" Stephanie exclaimed, grin forming on her face as well.  

Britney nodded, "Yeah, but I think you should be more proud of Adam than me.  He convinced me to go through with it."  Stephanie's eyes widened a little at the mention of the Canadian's name.  _And he's a God to me right now.  I knew she'd never leave on her own, so thank God for that man._  Stephanie had always known that Britney absolutely loved Adam, and from what Jay told her, Adam felt exactly the same way.  _If only these two could see how in love they are._  

"I think he almost kissed me, Steph," Britney said, causing Stephanie to snap out of her daze.  Stephanie eyed her cousin knowingly.  

"Then… why didn't he?" she asked, a sudden wave of uneasiness washing over her.  _What if something went really wrong?  Damn you Stephanie Marie, why do you ALWAYS have to be so nosy? _

"Well, Mark and a couple people kinda walked in," Britney said, blushing a little.  

"That's embarrassing, did they know that they walked in on something?" the brunette asked curiously.  

"Rob definitely did.  Sara and Kurt might have too, but I'm not sure.  But I don't think Mark did, and even if he DID, he didn't seem to care too much," Britney told her, giggling.  

Stephanie laughed softly as well, "You really just need to jump that man… Adam, I mean.  You two are both too shy for your own damn good.  You really should… shit!" she suddenly cursed.  

"What is it?" Britney asked, concerned.  "I was supposed to meet Jay downstairs 15 minutes ago!"  A childish twinkle formed in Britney's eye.  

"Ooh no!  Steffie's late for her date with her schmoopie Jay-Jay!" she said in a third grade sing-songish voice.  

"Ha, ha.  I'm sorry Brit, but I really have to go," Stephanie told her.  "Just let yourself out whenever."  With that said, she practically flew out the door.  

Britney stretched her legs, deciding that she should get back to save Adam from Mark's clutches.  As she made her way to the door, the makeup bag on the vanity across the room caught her eye.  She walked over to it, hoping to find something to cover the nasty bruise on her face up in case she were to run into anyone else.  She knew her cousin wouldn't mind, as they had always shared makeup in the past.  She remembered fondly how Shane used to pick on them because they were two rich girls who had to rely on each other for clothes and makeup.  Digging through the bag, she pulled out a bottle of foundation.  She carefully applied it to her bruise, until it was completely invisible.  Exhaling with satisfaction as she put the concealer away, she made her out of Stephanie's hotel suite.

BACK AT ADAM'S ROOM 

    Kurt and Adam, now joined by Matt, Amy, Trish, Jeff, and Chris, were all seated throughout Adam's room.  The other five had shown up at his door, "dying of boredom," as Chris had put it.  They were planning on spending their day off out somewhere until they got to the lobby and discovered that it was pouring.  They were watching Dude, Where's My Car, one of the group's personal favorites.  Suddenly, the door pushed open, and Britney walked in.  

"Hey!" they all said, happy to be seeing her alone for the first time in awhile.  _Every time I've seen her in the last few weeks, she's been attached to the arm of Lesnar, _Chris thought to himself as he smiled at her.  Amy, who was seated next to the self proclaimed King of the World, nudged him in the ribs, snapping Jericho back into reality.  

"Get up," she mouthed to him, gesturing to the other blonde Canadian next to Chris.  Eyeing Adam for a minute, Chris stood, instructing Britney to sit where he had been, between Amy and Adam.  

"Hey Brit, I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Amy said excitedly, hugging her best friend.  

"Yeah, I was… busy."  Suddenly uncomfortable, Britney fidgeted around on the couch.  

Her eyes darted around a little, until Adam gently placed a hand on her knee, seeming to instantly calm her down.  The smile he sent her was small, but was plenty big enough to make her feel a lot better.  Focusing on the movie, the group settled into their seats and got quiet.  Adam, whose hand still rested on Britney's knee, was a pretty content man.  _This is how life is SUPPOSED to be.  _As he studied the young blonde's face closely, he noticed that the bruise on her right cheek had completely vanished. 

Leaning over, he tucked her hair behind her ear and whispered, "Where's your bruise?"  

Giggling softly, she turned to face him, "Oh, the magic of cover-up."  

They both looked into each other's eyes, suddenly realizing how extremely close their faces were.  Neither of them seemed to notice that there was anyone else in the room, until Amy shifted in her seat, causing Britney to jerk back.  Adam backed up as well, glancing around thankfully that no one seemed to notice that somewhat embarrassing moment.  Unbeknownst to him, Kurt was trying hard to contain a smile.  _If only those two could see how crazy they are about each other.  _  About 45 minutes later, the movie had ended.  

Chris stood and stretched, yawning loudly as he said, "Guess I better go call the wife, or she might think I'm leaving for a more attractive woman. I'll see you guys later tonight."  

After he exited, everyone else began to leave little by little.  First Trish, then Matt, and then Jeff and Kurt, until only Adam, Amy, and Britney remained.  Moving to a different couch and settling back, Amy started to reminisce.  So much had changed in her relationship with Adam and Britney over the last few weeks.  She rarely saw Britney, and that caused Amy not to see as much of Adam as much either.  Well, they still hung out and had a few heart to hearts, but Britney was what actually brought the two together.  _I guess we all have Brock Lesnar to thank for this.  _The thought of Brock Lesnar made the diva wonder why Britney was even with her and Adam.  She knew that Lesnar didn't particularly like her or Adam, and he would never ALLOW Britney to hang out with them.  

"Hey Brit?  Where's Brock?" the redhead asked, pretending not to notice Adam flinch slightly at his name.  

"Don't know.  And quite frankly, Ames, I don't care anymore," Britney stated boldly.  

"Well than, I must missed something pretty big.  What the hell happened?" Amy asked anxiously.  

Britney cast her eyes down for a moment, and when Adam put his arm around her shoulder, she looked up again.  Swallowing hard, she decided that Amy WAS her best friend, so she had to tell her.  "I'm gonna tell you the story, but you have to PROMISE not to tell anyone, not even Matt," Britney requested.  Amy nodded, and gestured for her to continue.  Britney swallowed hard yet again before taking a deep breath and telling the entire story…..

"And that's when I decided to take Adam up on his offer to let me stay with him," Britney finished.  Amy was wide-eyed and completely silent as she looked at her friend.  

"Oh my god, I… wow, you're a good man, Copeland," the redhead said gratefully.  

"I try, Red.  Now, what do you say we watch another movie?  For old time's sake," Adam suggested, and the two divas nodded, each smiling.  About an hour later, Amy glanced back to see that Britney had fallen asleep, her head resting in Adam's lap.  

Looking up, her eyes met his and Adam put a finger to his lips, whispering, "She… kinda had a long night."  Amy understood, sending the two a warm smile.  

"So… how long till you two lovebirds become an ACTUAL couple?" she asked playfully.  

"I… I'm not rushing anything Ames.  I… I don't want to scare her away.  I won't mess up this time like I did with Alanah," Adam told her, his tone serious and even a little wistful.  Amy sighed quietly.  

"Adam, I've TOLD you before, what happened between you and Alanah was HER fault, not yours," she reassured him.  Amy knew that Alanah, specially code-named the *other*, was not a subject that Adam discussed with Britney, or hardly anyone for that matter.  From what Adam told her, which Amy believed with all her heart was true, the *other* was nothing but a jealous bitch.  "Adam, if you'd just take a chance, Britney could see how amazingly wonderful you are, if she doesn't already," Amy continued.  Adam looked down at the sleeping beauty in his lap.  

"You think so?" he asked, unsure of himself.  

"I know so," Amy said, standing and stretching.  "I'm gonna go see what Matt is up to, alright?"  

Adam nodded, "Alright.  See you later Ames."  Making her way to the door, the redhead turned to face him.  

"Tell her, Adam," she said in a demanding tone before letting herself out.  

Adam sighed softly, resting his head back against the couch.  _She makes it sound so easy.  _Sighing once more, Adam reached down to brush the hair off of Britney's face.  _I know I have to tell her the REAL reason the engagement was broken off, but I just don't know HOW._

ABOUT AN HOUR AND ½ LATER 

    Britney slowly opened her eyes, turning over on to her side on the couch.  Her eyes opened fully when she heard a man's voice.  

"Hey you.  Time to get up sleepyhead," Adam said sweetly, walking over and kneeling next to her.  

Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, Britney asked, "What time is it?"  

Glancing at the clock, Adam answered, "About 5:30.  Come on, I went downstairs and got us some dinner."  

Sitting up, Britney raised an eyebrow at him, "What did you do that for?"  

Smiling at her slightly messy hair, Adam told her, "I owe you from this morning.  Besides, I need to talk to you about something anyway."  

She took his hand and he pulled her up and led her over to the table.  They sat and ate in silence for a few moments, Adam trying to think of a way to approach the subject he needed to talk about.  _Just say it, she'll understand.  Besides, she DOES deserve to know. _

"I, uh…" he stuttered, starting to second-guess himself.  _But what if she gets upset?  I can't afford to let her go again.  _

Taking a sip from her glass and placing it down on the table, Britney questioned him, "You what?  What is it, Adam?"  

Shrugging, Adam stuttered once more, "Nothing, I just… uh, I… well…"  

"Shit!" Britney yelled suddenly, smacking herself in the forehead.  

"W-what?" Adam asked, confused.  

"All my stuff is in Brock's room!  I have to go get it!" she cried.  

"Uh oh," Adam muttered, looking across the table at her.  

"I… I can't go in there.  He, I… what if he's… ugh, I can't go!" the diva said, frowning.  

"But you have to get your stuff," Adam said, not really sure of what else to say.  

"I-I, Adam, I'm… scared.  Do you think you c-could… go with me?" she asked, nervously but hopefully.  

Adam smiled softly at the beautiful blonde, "Yes, when we're done I'll take you up there, okay?"  Smiling widely, Britney nodded at the Canadian.  

"So… what was it you were trying to tell me?" she asked curiously.  

Deciding not to worry about it, Adam shook his head, "It's nothing really, don't worry."  _Okay, maybe that's not TOTALLY true, _he thought, _but it'll just have to wait for now.  _

About twenty minutes later, the two had finished and were rinsing off their plates in the sink.  Adam smiled at how domestic they looked, almost like a married couple.  _Woah, don't get ahead of yourself Copeland, _he warned himself silently.  Looking down at Britney, he noticed that she had dropped the plate in the sink, water still running, and was staring into space.  

Walking up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders, he quietly asked, "You okay?"  

Turning to face him, she shrugged, "I… I don't know.  I guess going to get my things really finalizes the end of my relationship with Brock, short as it was.  I just… I don't want to be alone again."  Adam frowned at her change in emotion.  She seemed to do that a lot lately, switching moods out of the blue.  He understood that after the last month or so of her life, she had the right to be a little depressed.  Sighing softly, he slid his hands down to her waist, lifting her up on the counter beside the sink.  

"But this time's different, you aren't alone anymore.  You have me," he told her reassuringly.  

"I… God, Adam, I don't know what I'd do without you," she said, leaning into his embrace.  

Enjoying the feeling of her in his arms, Adam didn't even want to THINK about the statement Britney just made.


	9. Part 8

PART 8

****

"I guess this is it.  I just go in, get my stuff, and leave," Britney sighed as she stared at Brock Lesnar's hotel room door.

Nodding, Adam gently nudged her forward.  He wanted to get this over with just as much as she did, and it would never happen if he didn't push her along.  Inhaling deeply, Britney raised her hand and knocked on the door.  When she heard the handle turning, she stepped back, as if to turn away, but Adam held her steady before backing away.  She wanted and needed to do this on her own, he just wanted to be there if… no, WHEN Brock decided that she wasn't going to be leaving.  Britney's eyes widened as the immense figure of Brock Lesnar appeared in the doorway.

"It's about damn time you got here!  Where the hell were you all day!?  Never mind, just come in and get settled," he said, angrily at first, but then calming down considerably.

Not making any eye contact with him, Britney hesitantly answered, "I-I… I'm not getting settled.  I'm… here to get my stuff."  Brock laughed loudly and Adam, who Brock could not see, clenched his fists tightly.

Still laughing, Brock looked down at her, "Very funny.  Get in here."

Swallowing as she crossed her arms under her chest, she glanced up at him, "No, I'm getting my stuff and leaving.  It… it's over."  His amused face turned angry and he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her close.

"Listen to me, you little bitch," he spat.  "I will NOT let you walk out on me like this.  Get in here NOW, or so help me God, I'll…"

"Let go of her NOW, or so help ME God, I will take that hand and shove it right up your ass!"

Brock jumped, startled as the tall Canadian appeared behind his girlfriend, seemingly out of thin air.

"H-hey Copeland," he said somewhat nervously.

He had certainly not expected this to happen.  He stepped back in a bewildered retreat as he watched Adam lead Britney into the room.  The Next Big Thing propped himself up against the door frame and waited in silence, totally taken aback.  As quickly as they'd disappeared, they made their way back to the door.  Britney stiffly walked straight out the door, not once looking at Brock, for fear of making some very unwanted eye contact with him.  Even with Adam at her side, her now ex-boyfriend still scared the living hell out of her.  Adam followed directly behind her, but HE wasn't so afraid.  He stopped at glared at the big man, eyes boring a hole right through his forehead.  Brock, who still wasn't sure what to make of the situation, returned the glare.

"I don't know what the hell's going on, but if my girlfriend…" he said, until Adam put a hand up to his face.

Smiling slyly at the other man, Adam strolled out the door after simply saying, "EX-girlfriend."

After the two disappeared down the hallway, Brock slammed his door shut with such force that he knocked a painting off the nearby wall.  _Ex-girlfriend!  Who the fuck does he think he is?!  Better yet, who the fuck does SHE think SHE is?!  _Walking back into the room, he angrily threw himself on the couch.  _Mark my words, Adam Copeland.  When this is all said and done, Britney will be with me, and your ass will be DEAD._

OUTSIDE THE ROOM 

"I did it.  I actually did it!" Britney squealed excitedly as she and Adam made their way back to their room.  Adam couldn't stop smiling at the sight of her, she finally seemed so happy.  She was grinning from ear to ear as she pushed the button for the elevator and stepped in.  "Adam, I… thanks," she said, leaning up against the wall of the car as the elevator went up.

"Hey, you don't have to thank me for anything, but you're welcome anyway," he said, smiling.

The two in silence the rest of the way, Adam gazing at Britney as she watched the floor numbers on the panel light up.  When they reached their floor, they stepped out and headed in the direction of the room.

They stopped and turned when they heard a voice call, "Adam, Brit, wait up!"  They looked back to see Stephanie and Jay walking toward them.  Britney could tell from the look Stephanie was giving her that the lunch with Jay went well.

"Dude," Jay said, grabbing Adam by the arm.  "I need to talk to you… hey Brit, by the way."

Stephanie walked over behind Jay and did the same thing, grabbing her cousin by the forearm, "I have a story to tell you!"

"Okay," Britney said, laughing.  "I'll see you in a little bit, okay Adam?"

Laughing as Jay practically yanked him away from the two McMahon's, Adam responded, "Alright, see you girls later!"

Britney and Stephanie watched the two Canadians disappear into Adam's room before turning and heading in the other direction to Stephanie's room.  Once inside, Britney sat down on the couch, the same couch she'd sat on earlier in the day when she went to tell Stephanie about Brock.  She thought of how the roles had suddenly reversed as she glanced up questioningly at her cousin.

"Spill it, Steph!  What exactly happened at your 'lunch' with Jay?" Britney asked eagerly.

Cheeks reddening slightly, Stephanie answered, "Do you mean before or after he asked me out?!"

Britney's eyes widened, "What?!  When did this happen?"

"Sometime this afternoon, I guess.  He was SO adorable, Brit.  He was like really shy about it, and he looked SOOO cute!" Stephanie squealed.

"Aw!  Well, I want details!" the blonde replied, using the same school-girl tone as her cousin.  Taking a deep breath, Stephanie blinked a couple of times before retelling her story.

_"Here, let me pick up my end," Stephanie said, referring to the food bill that was placed on the table she was sitting at with Jay Reso._

_Shaking his head, the blonde man gently pushed her extended arm out of the way, "No way, Ms. McMahon.  A gentleman ALWAYS picks up the tab!"_

_Rolling her eyes emphatically, she playfully said, "Well Jason, I was not aware of the fact that you were such a gentleman!"_

_"But of course!" Jay said, bursting out into laughter.  After the money was paid, which Stephanie finally allowed to cover, the two got up and headed toward the stairs.  "Why don't we just take the elevator?" Jay suggested when he saw Stephanie make her way toward the stairs._

_"No way!  I need to walk off this lunch," she replied hastily, causing Jay to frown._

_"Why?" he asked curiously.  Giving a throaty laugh, the brunette answered, "Well, Jay, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly built like the other divas."_

_Jay sighed knowingly; she was getting that… WAY that women got… whatever that was.  He knew that all it would take to make her feel better was a few encouraging words._

_"Steph, I don't know where you're getting that idea from, but I think you're beautiful," he reassured her._

_Stephanie smiled, "It's not that I think there's anything WRONG with the way I'm built," she said as they made their way up the final flight of stairs.  "It's just that the other women around here just seem so much… better."_

_Shaking his head, the Canadian insisted, "Steph, if you asked me, I'd say you're a hundred times 'better' than any of those other girls.  You're smarter, prettier, more natural, and hell… you're just better."_

_Stephanie's grin widened, "You really think so?"_

_"I KNOW so," Jay told her, grinning widely as well._

_"Wow, Jay, I… thank you," the brunette said appreciatively.  Damn, but if that man wasn't the sweetest thing she'd ever met in her entire 25 years.  They both walked in silence until Jay stopped when he reached his door.  They had agreed at lunch that they would go back to Jay's to watch a movie or just hang out.  Stephanie thought of how their relationship had quickly evolved into one much like Adam and Britney's--- they had become the best of friends.  She watched as Jay took the key card out, but didn't swipe it in the door, instead turning to face her._

_"Can I… ask you something?" he requested, almost nervously._

_"Sure, anything," Stephanie answered.  _Do it, _he told himself.   _Stop standing there like an idiot.

_"Would you, I mean… do you think we could… well…" he hesitated, shuffling his feet back and forth cautiously.  _Damn it Reso, suck it up!  _"Steph, would you want to, and if you don't it's okay… but, do you think you and I could maybe go out more often?" he finally managed to get out._

_Stephanie's eyes widened incredulously, "You mean like, as a couple_?"

_Uh… yeah," he said, his tone still incredibly nerve-wracked.  The brunette hesitated for a moment, and then her face suddenly broke into a huge grin._

_"I would love to go out with you Jay," she said, trying damn hard to keep herself from screaming.  Jay then matched her smile with an ear-to-ear one of his own._

_"That's great Steph.  I, uh… oh, come here!" he said, pulling her into his arms, embracing her tightly.  She pulled back for a moment to look into his eyes.  She felt a shiver run up her spine as he flashed her another grin.  _Damn, that grin drives me wild.  _Her thoughts were suddenly dispersed when she felt his lips on hers.  Closing her eyes, she sighed dreamily into his mouth as he slowly explored her mouth with his own.  Their kiss was, albeit brief, very sweet, and left both of them with yet another grin plastered on their faces._

_"What do you say we go do that movie?" Jay insisted, pushing the door open and leading his new girlfriend inside._

"Aww…" Adam said teasingly as Jay finished telling the story he knew Stephanie was probably telling Britney at that very moment.  "Seriously man, congratulations.  I'm happy for you," Adam told his lifelong friend.

Jay smiled, "Thanks.  Dude, I'm just so happy right now… speaking of happy, you and the other Ms. McMahon seemed pretty happy earlier when we came up to you.  What did I miss?"

Adam responded, smiling triumphantly, "Brit officially dumped Brock today.  Herself.  We went up to get her stuff and all and she just flat out told him it was over.  He was PISSED, but oh well.  I'm just glad they're over so I can…"

"Move in for the kill?" Jay interrupted.

"No!" Adam shot back, offended.  Adam loved Jay to death, but sometimes the WRONG things came out of his mouth.

"I was GOING to say so I can finally keep him away from her," he told Jay, in an almost reprimanding tone.

"Sorry man.  I didn't think you'd be that pissed if I said that," Jay said regretfully.

"Oh, don't worry about it.  This whole thing's just had me on the edge lately, no pun intended.  It's finally starting to look better though," Adam told the shorter blonde.

"Yeah it is," Jay said seriously.  "So I take it you haven't told her yet."

Adam shook his head, "Not a thing."

It was Jay's turn to reprimand, "Adam, do I REALLY have to go through this again.  SUCK IT UP and TELL her already!"

"I WANT to Jay, but it's not that simple! I can't just say, 'Hey Brit, my fiancée and I broke up 6 months ago because of you.  Oh, and I know you just got out of a horrible and abusive relationship, but I'm madly in love with you, let's hook up!'  That's NOT how it works!" Adam cried, a little shocked at himself.

Jay was amused, "Well, you may have to elaborate a little more on the fiancée thing, but the rest sounded fine to me."  Adam, however, wasn't amused in the least bit, and proceeded to pick up a magazine and hurl it at his best friend.

"Okay, okay.  I'll tell her soon."

"Tonight," Jay instructed firmly.

"Okay, tonight," Adam gave in.  There was really no sense in fighting with Jay, he always won.

LATE THAT NIGHT

Adam yawned loudly as he glanced around for the clock.  _It has to be nearly three in the morning, _he thought.  Sure enough, the time on the digital clock on the nightstand read 2:48.  He was waiting for his new roommate to come out of the bathroom, where she had gone to get ready for bed.  Adam promised to book rooms with two beds in the future, but tonight after much insistence as well as the fact that there was only one bed, the two were sharing the king sized bed.  When she finally emerged, Adam silently drank in the sight of her, standing across the room in a tank top and shorts pajama set.  _My God, she's beautiful.  _When she spoke, Adam quickly snapped out of his daze.

"Are you okay?  You seemed really spaced out tonight," she asked, both of them finding it ironic that SHE was asking HIM that question.

Jeff had stopped by and asked the two to join everyone at the club they were going to that night.  To his wonderful surprise, Britney quickly said yes.  Adam went along, but couldn't help but just sit around and watch.  While Jeff was ecstatic to have his old dancing buddy back, Adam spent the whole night thinking of how to approach that buddy.  He wished Jay had been there so he could ask for his advice, but, not surprisingly, neither he nor Stephanie were anywhere to be found.

Once again snapping himself out of a trance, he answered as the diva sat down next to him, "I'm fine, I just… well, you know how earlier I said that I had to tell you something and I kept putting it off?"

She nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, Jay and Amy have really been pressuring me to tell you this, and I'm not exactly sure why.  It's not really a big deal, but I guess you just have a right to know and…"

"Spit it out, Adam," Britney interrupted, encouraging him to continue.

"Well, it has to do with Alanah and me," he said slowly.

_Oh God, they're getting back together!  Amy knows this would crush me!_  _This is JUST my luck.  Lord, shoot me now!  _The tiny blonde had a million things running through her head, but she was way off with her thinking.  She found that out when Adam took a deep breath and told the tale, which was basically the story of how and why they broke up.  He told her that his ex-fiancée was well aware of how close her man had been getting to his boss's niece, and she blew everything out of proportion.  Even though Adam truthfully swore that the two were no more than good friends, Alanah swore otherwise.  In her mind, he HAD to be messing around with her.  The accusations really got to Adam, especially after what his father did to his mother, something Adam carried with him for the rest of his life.  Also, as much as he cared about Britney at the time, he truly did love his girlfriend.  Eventually, after yet another blow-out fight, Alanah gave him an it's-her-or-me ultimatum.  She said he either stopped talking to Britney altogether, or they were finished.

"Needless to say, I chose the 'us being finished' part," Adam finished.  Britney stared at him incredulously.

"Wow.  But you really loved her, so why pick me?  I would've understood," she said, half-lying.

Adam shrugged, "I guess when it all boils down, I can see you my life fifty years from now, even if it's as a friend.  As much as I thought I'd like to, I just can't see her in that way, not anymore."  He turned to see her studying him intently.  He readied himself for the "How-come-you-never-told-me?!" speech, but it never came.

Instead of speaking, Britney threw herself at him, surprising him so much he nearly toppled over.  Damn, he was going to have to get used to the weird reactions she had been giving him lately.  When she let go, she touched his cheek, still smiling widely.

"That… that means a lot to me, Adam.  It really does.  Thanks," she said.

Returning the grin, he told her, "It was the easiest AND hardest decision I've ever made.  I lost many a night of sleep over that, but looking back, I knew what my decision was the entire time.  I'm just glad I told you, and you didn't freak out.  Even if it doesn't mean a lot, it's a huge weight off my shoulders," he said.  "Now, I'm beat.  We should both be getting some sleep."

Having said that, he laid down, cursing himself for not finishing what he had set out to do.  Sure, he told her about the other, but he had conveniently left out the second half of the conversation, where he told her his true feelings for her.  He quickly turned and rested his head on the pillow, closing his eyes and hoping to God that she didn't notice how jerky his movements were.  He kept his eyes shut for a moment, until he noticed that Britney was still sitting up.

"What's wrong?" he asked tiredly.

The young McMahon hesitated slightly before answering with a question of her own, "Are you sure that's all you wanted to tell me?"

Adam's eyes widened slightly, and he once again hoped it was not enough for her to notice.  _Damn it, she knows me too well.  Of course that's not ALL I wanted to tell you.  I WANT to tell you that I've fallen madly in love with you!  Christ, isn't what I already told you enough for one night?  _A myriad of thoughts raced through his head, but of course he let his self-consciousness get the best of him.

"Uh… yeah," he said quietly, casting his eyes forward so he would not have to look at her.

Sighing audibly, Britney gave in and slid down next to him.  _Guess I was wrong, _she thought.  _I could have SWORN there was something else there!  And Jeff and Amy sounded so sure of it when I talked to them today!  Nah, it's just me being a hopeless romantic.  _The young woman couldn't help but dwell on the way he'd been around her lately.  He was so sweet, and so caring… there HAD to be something between them.  Her thoughts were broken when Adam shifted to turn to the lamp beside the bed off, and switched the TV on.  She studied his handsome face in silence as he found a replay of SportsCenter airing, not really sure of what to make of the situation.  She doubted that he knew either for that matter.

"Adam, I… I know I've said this like a million times, but… I just want to thank you again.  For everything.  I owe you so much…"

"You owe me nothing.  I've done nothing more than help out a very good friend, which any decent man would do," he cut her off, turning his attention away from the sports show.

"Well then, I'm very grateful to have such a decent man as a very good friend," she said, breaking into a smile.  Her grin caused him to return one of his own.

"Come here you," he said mischievously before pouncing on her and pinning her to the bed, tickling her mercilessly.

"Do you give up?" he asked as Britney kicked and squirmed underneath him.

"Never!" she cried, laughing as she desperately tried to free herself from his grasp.  Swinging her leg up, she accidentally kicked him right in the groin.  Adam let out a pained yelp, rolling off of her and groaning in pain as he clutched his mid-section.

"Ooh Adam, I'm so sorry!  I didn't mean it… I'm sorry!" she said as she jumped back.

"Oww… it's okay.  Don't worry about it," he assured her.  When he looked up at her, he was surprised to see how her eyes had widened, seemingly in shock.

"Hey, it's okay," he told her, reaching out to touch her arm.  When he did so, she jumped again and jerked away from him.  Adam eyed her incredulously, wondering what it was that had suddenly crawled up her ass.

"What's the matter?" he asked, growing concerned.  He reached for her once more, wincing as she froze at his touch, clenching her eyes shut tightly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" she repeated over and over again.

"Britney, I said don't worry about it!  What is wrong with you?!" the blonde man asked.

She shook her head violently in response, keeping her eyes squeezed shut.  Adam gave up and backed away for the time being, completely unaware of what to do.  He couldn't understand WHY she freaked out like that.  _Does she think I'd get mad?  What would make her thing that… and get mad?  I just don't… Ohh…  _The solution to his questions suddenly popped into his head when he saw faded bruise on Britney's right cheek, which was still mostly covered.  There was only one thing, or should he say _person_, who could make her jump like that ---- Brock Lesnar.  Adam was willing to bet any amount of money that if the same scenario occurred while Brock was around, Britney would have gotten hit.  Adam hesitated speaking, contemplating on whether or not he should just ask her straight forward if that was the case.  Luckily for him, and much to his surprise at that, she answered the question without being asked.

"I'm sorry, it's just… that's the kind of thing that would've… um… gotten me in trouble," she explained as he'd expected.  Adam should his head, almost pitifully,

"Would you… would you get hit for an accident like that?"  She watched as he slowly moved his arm closer to her, but didn't touch her.

"No, not… not necessarily.  I would probably only get… yelled at for something like this," she answered, surprising him by how nonchalantly she had stated that.  _I ONLY got yelled at?  What a crock, _Adam thought to himself as Britney continued.

"And I know you'd never, you know… hit me, but I just… it's just impulse for me to react this way.  It's… it's the only way I know how."  Adam smiled sadly at his friend, wondering if she even knew what it was like to be in a REAL relationship.

"Well, you're right about that.  I mean, that I'd never it you and all.  I couldn't even if I tried.  I… I just couldn't," Adam said, once again choking up.  "I mean, I can't picture myself EVER getting mad at you enough to… damn.  It'd be like… like Jeff keeping one hair color for over a month," he continued, trying to insert some humor into the situation.  It must have worked, because Britney cracked up at the analogy.

Gasping for air as she attempted to control her laughter, she managed to speak, "You really are a weird one, Copeland."

Laughing at her comment, he gently patted her on the knee, "And you really are something else, Ms. McMahon."

"Yes, I know," she said in very diva-ish tone, dramatically tossing her body down so her head rested on his stomach.

He closed his eyes momentarily as he thought of how difficult it was going to be to keep his hands off of her.  When he felt her weight shift, he opened his eyes again.  He watched her lean over him to grab the remote on the nightstand and, while doing so, unintentionally caught quite a glimpse down the front of her white tank top.  When she found what she was looking for she moved back to where she was before, and he shook his head to snap himself out of it.  _Quit drooling like a twelve year old, Adam.  I SO need to learn how to control myself_, he warned himself silently.  As she switched the TV off, she snuggled up to Adam, pulling the covers up to her chin.

"Goodnight Mr. Copeland," she said sweetly.

"Goodnight, Ms. McMahon," he replied, gently kissing her forehead.  They laid there in the dark, totally silent for about fifteen minutes.

"Tell me a story," Britney said into the darkness.

"What?!" Adam asked, unable to control his laughter at her childlike request.

"I can't sleep, so I thought… oh, come on, didn't your mom tell you stories when you were younger?" she asked, sounding amazed at how surprised he was at her request.

"Yeah, so?  She stopped when I was about five!" he answered, not exactly sure of what she was getting at.

"SO… tell me one now.  I'm a kid at heart, maybe it'll still work," she said matter-of-factly.

Sighing as he wrapped his arm more tightly around her waist, he questioned her again, "What kind of story?  I don't know any."

Sighing as she took his huge hand in hers, she told him, "Tell me something about you, something I don't know or something."  He laughed again and wondered if maybe she had gone insane.  _But if she isn't a damn cute crazy girl_, he thought.  "Uh… after the story I told you tonight, I think you know everything there is to know about me.  I'm not that interesting, you already know it all," he told her.  _Well, maybe not EVERYTHING, but that's gonna take some time._

Sighing out of frustration, she smacked him on the arm, "SOOO tell me about… hmm… about the first time you went to a wrestling show."

"That's easy.  It was Wrestlemania 6, in Toronto.  It was the first time I ever saw Hogan live…" he started.  About a minute and a half into his story, he noticed that her breathing was regular, and she had fallen asleep.  Sighing as he began to drift himself, he thought out loud, _Yup, you are really something else._

TBC

So, what do you think??!?


	10. Part 9

PART 9

BACKLASH- 2002

Britney sighed as she made her way through the arena where Backlash was being held was being held.  She was searching the hallways for the locker room where Jeff Hardy was dressing.  She wanted to speak to him about the match he was having later that night with Brock Lesnar.  After roaming the halls for awhile, she bumped into Shane McMahon, who hadn't been at a WWE event in months.

"Hey!" Britney said cheerily, smiling as her cousin kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey kid.  Why you looking so lost?" he asked curiously.

"Cause I am… I'm searching for my colorfully haired friend," she said, laughing softly.

"Ah, Hardy's locker room's that way," Shane replied, pointing down the hallway.

Laughing once more, Britney thanked him, "Great, thanks Shane.  Maybe now I'll get to him before the show starts."  She started to walk past him, but the older man grabbed her by the shoulder.

Tilting her chin up so she was looking at him, he questioned her, "This conversation wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the match Jeff has with Brock tonight, would it?"

She shook her head, but Shane knew better.  "Look Brit, Jeff can handle himself.  Don't get too worried, okay?" he said, putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the hall.

"I… I can't help it Shane," Britney told him.  Frowning, he stopped walking as his cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Alright, I'll be right there."  Turning to face her, Shane placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Duty calls, kid.  I'll have a word with the bastard in a little, though.  I haven't been around in awhile, but I've heard plenty," he told her, and Britney's eyes widened.  She had never told Shane that she had gotten back together with Brock, mainly because she knew how he would react.

"Look Shane, I'm sorry I didn't tell y-" she started, but he put a finger to her lips, silencing her.

"Don't worry about it… you know I couldn't get mad at you for it.  Not that I understand how you could be with that dick, but… well, you know how I feel.  And I know that you probably don't want to talk about it, so I'm just going to accept that and be grateful that it's over now," he told her.  Britney was surprised, and wondered what had gotten into him that made him back off so quickly about a topic that he had a VERY strong opinion on.

"Um, are you feeling okay?  I was kinda preparing for the third degree," she said, and he laughed.

"Yeah, I feel fine.  I just… I don't think I could stress how much I think he's the biggest fucking bastard to ever live anymore.  I'm not going to let him come between us again.  You're my baby cousin, and I love you like I love my sister.  There's no way I'm going to let that punk ruin something like that," he said seriously.

Britney raised an eyebrow at him, "Um, thanks… I think."

He smiled, "See, now I've gone and confused us both.  Look, I'll make sure nothing happens tonight, alright?  I promise."  Britney smiled as Shane glanced at her confidently.  She knew that Shane would take care of Brock, as her cousin could be quite the motivational speaker when necessary.  "Now, you go find Rainbow… I'll see you later kid," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Bye, Shane," she said, walking past him in the direction of Jeff's locker room.

Lips forming into an almost evil smile as he watched her disappear around the corner, Shane said to himself, "Oh yeah, Mr. Lesnar and I will DEFINITELY be having a chat before the night's out."  As he turned to head for his father's office, the smile left his face at the thought of that man.  _And I'd BETTER like what I hear.  NO ONE messes with my baby cousin, I don't give a damn how big he is._

DOWN THE HALL 

Britney finally found the locker room she was looking for, thanks to Shane's help, as well as the help of Matt Hardy, whom she had seen on her way.  Stepping up and knocking on the door, her fingers played with the necklace on her neck as she awaited a response.  After a moment, the door slowly opened, and the head of Chris Irvine popped out from behind it.

"Oh, hey cutie.  What can I do yah for?" he said, still partially hiding behind the door.  Noticing his damp hair, she realized he must have just stepped out of the shower.

"If you're naked, put some clothes on, cause I need to come in and see Jeff," she stated plainly.

"Well, I'm not naked," he said, stepping out and showing her the towel wrapped around his waist.  "But if you want, it could easily be arranged!"  Trying her best not to laugh, she pushed past him into the room, waving to some of the guys sitting around.

"Aren't you supposed to be married you horny old man?" she asked playfully.

Pushing her hair aside, he whispered, "Shh… don't tell.  Besides, I could never get with you."

Britney laughed, "Why not?  Suddenly deciding to be loyal to your wife?"  Chris laughed as he thought of a comment to answer that.  He was really happy be seeing her like this again--- so happy.  Adam had really done a good job taking care of her.  _Aha, there we go._

"Actually, it's a blonde Canadian rule… number 47 to be exact," he said, referring to a joke that he and Britney had.  Chris always told her that she could have any man in the world if she wanted, but especially the blonde Canadians.  "That rule states," he continued, "that one blonde Canadian shall never EEEEVER touch another blonde Canadian's woman."

Britney smiled, "I wish Jerky.  But it's okay cause…" she lowered her voice to a whisper to match his, "I could never get with you either."

It was Jericho's turn to smile, "Why?  Too loyal to Adam, even though you SWEAR there's nothing there?"

Shaking her head, she pitifully patted his shoulder, "No, it's just, you're too… short."  Chris, who wasn't very tall to begin with, was actually shorter than Britney by a few inches in the heels she was wearing.

After he pretended to stab himself in the chest, rather dramatically at that, he called into the room, "JEFF!  There's a hott blonde here to see you!"  They waited a moment, and Britney smiled when she heard the Southern drawl that could only belong to Jeff Hardy.

"Chris, I'm flattered you like me so much, I really am.  But, man, you're just not my type… hey honey!" he said, turning at the door to see Britney standing with him.  Britney's cheeks reddened slightly at his comment.  All the guys usually called her, Steph, and Amy stuff like "honey" and "cutie"… but Jeff was just so damn cute when he did it.

"All the nice names I'm being called today!  Hey yourself, hottie!" she said happily.

"Damn," Chris interrupted, "she called you hottie.  First thing she said to me was put your clothes on!"

Britney laughed as she gave Jeff a quick hug, "Sorry Chris, it's the accent.  You know I love you, too."  Triumphantly sticking his tongue out at the young Hardy, he turned and left them, mumbling something about calling the wife he was so loyal to.

"So, what's up?" Jeff asked, leading her out of the locker room and closing the door.  As she went to answer, the daredevil suddenly jumped, diving on to an equipment crate.  Still jumpy around people who moved to fast, Jeff's sudden action nearly gave Britney a heart attack.  _Christ, this kid will be the death of me tonight. _ When she stared at him, still catching her breath from her scare, he answered her question before she could even ask it.

"Don't worry, mom.  I'll be careful when I'm out there tonight," he assured her, reading her mind.

"Extra careful, Jeff.  I don't trust Brock, and I know he'd do something stupid to you to get to me, so I want you to be extra EXTRA careful, okay?"  Jeff gently placed a hand on her shoulder, once again moving too fast and making her jump.  _Damn, I gotta learn to slow down a notch or two._

"I promise Brit.  I'll be really careful--- I'm more worried about Amy though.  She's liable to kick his ass.  You know how she is with protecting and getting revenge for her friends," he said, instantly regretting what he said.

"AMY'S GOING OUT THERE?!" Britney cried, totally shocked.  It never occurred to her that Lita would be accompanying Jeff to the ring.

"Oh, shit.  I knew I shouldn't have said that.  Look, you know I'd never let anything happen to her," he said.  Britney studied him for a moment as he rubbed a towel over his damp and now green hair.

"Yeah, I know.  I… I guess it just helps to actually hear it from you," she admitted.

Jeff smiled, "Good, so that's settled.  Anyway, how's loverboy doing?"

Britney laughed, "I assume you mean Adam.  Well, nothing's going on with him, at least not with me and him.  I mean, he's still being the sweetest and most helpful man in the world, but that's about all for now.  Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be."

Jeff looked at his friend, almost sadly.  He thought for sure that the two would have been together by now.  _I mean, damn, they been sharing a hotel room for weeks.  I guess Adam was right when he said these things take time._

Suddenly, a stagehand approached them, "Jeff?  Mr. Bischoff wants to see you."  Jeff nodded as the man walked away.

"Uh oh.  Guess I'll see you later.  Bye, darlin'," he said, laughing at the way her cheeks reddened again.  "Bye Rainbow," she said, watching his figure disappear.  _Please, God, _she prayed silently, _take care of him tonight._

IN SHANE MCMAHON'S OFFICE 

"Alright, thanks… bye," Shane said as he ended a phone call with one of the executive producers for the show.  Just as he placed the phone on the receiver, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said, looking at the door.  He gave a satisfied smile when he watched Brock Lesnar push the door open and walk in.  Shane was very grateful that he was able to keep composure around the scum, because seeing his face made him want to kill the bastard even more.

"Hey Shano.  What did you want to see me for?" he asked calmly, taking a seat in a chair at the head of Shane's desk.

"Well, Brock, I want to talk to you about your-"

"Match tonight with Jeff Hardy?  What did Steph go whining to you already?  Tell her I'll leave the freak alone," Lesnar interrupted, angering Shane.

"Actually," he responded, "I decided to do this by myself--- but I'm doing it for Britney, not Steph.  And you WILL leave Jeff alone, because if he comes out of that match more banged up than usual, your ass will be in hot water, pal."

Brock raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah?  Well, in case you've forgotten, since you haven't been around and all, this is my first real match.  I'm BOUND to mess up once or twice."

Shane merely shook his head, "I've given you fair warning Brock.  If Jeff, or ESPECIALLY Amy, gets hurt tonight, your ass will pay.  Now, I've got work to do, get the hell out."

Brock nodded, glaring at the Boy Wonder all the way.  Shane cringed as he heard Brock mutter, "God, you hit the bitch around a little and you get the whole fucking family on your ass," before closing the door.

LATE THAT NIGHT 

"The look on your face when Amy came into the locker room was priceless!" Adam said, laughing.

"Well, I didn't quite see the humor YOU people saw in it," Britney replied, sending him a pout that Adam found absolutely adorable.

Adam laughed heartily at the incident that had occurred earlier as he leaned back on the couch.  The two had been up for awhile, talking, as they had done many nights since they started rooming together.  Thinking back to earlier that night, he recalled, Shane McMahon, whom Adam hadn't seen in awhile, approached him, bringing Jeff and Amy with him.  They knew Britney had completely refused to watch Jeff's match with Brock Lesnar, as she told the girls in the locker room that she would spend the whole match throwing her guts up if she saw what was going on.  The ever-devious Shane had decided it would be a good night to play a little trick on his baby cousin.  After the match, Amy feigned a serious injury, and got some trainers to go along with her.  They took her into one of the locker rooms, where Adam was instructed to keep Britney.  The trainers brought Amy in, saying it was an emergency and they needed to work on her right then and there.  As Amy moaned in pain, Jeff kept screaming something like, "HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO TOUCH HER!"  Well, the look on Britney's face when Amy jumped up and Shane, Adam, Amy, and Jeff all yelled, "GOTCHA!" was definitely priceless, even if she didn't think so.  Adam was grateful that she had such a good sense of humor, otherwise he could've been in for a serious ass-kicking.

"Aw, don't pout.  I'm sorry," Adam said, widening his eyes innocently.  Britney WANTED to be mean and blow him off, but he just looked so damn cute making that puppy dog face at her.

"Oh, fine.  I suppose I could forgive you, since it was Shane's idea and all," she said, bursting into a fit of giggles.

Taking advantage of how she had let her guard down, the Canadian grabbed her by the stomach, tickling her.  Ever since they had started sharing a hotel room, they had gotten into many a tickling match, especially late at night.  They would crash around the whole hotel room, and they managed to break a few things along the way, all the while laughing so hard that their sides hurt.  As his hand reached her stomach, she instantly jumped and fought to defend herself.

"Ah!  Adam… stop it!  I… ooh!" she cried, falling backward.

Adam gave a satisfied smile as she tumbled backwards off the couch, but his eyes widened in shock as she gripped him tightly, pulling him down with her.  They laughed uncontrollably, both fighting a losing battle to catch their breaths.  After a few moments of gasping for air, they finally managed to control their breathing.  Adam gazed down at her, hovering over her on the floor.  He just couldn't get over how beautiful the blonde diva underneath him was, and discovered that his control was dropping dangerously.  _What harm could it do if I leaned down and just  kissed her?  _He lowered his head a little, and then stopped and withdrew.  Britney gazed at him wonderingly, as he seemed to be deep in thought.  Adam thought of the stress Britney had already been through and opted against kissing her, for now at least.  The more time he spent thinking about it and putting it off, the more he thought that maybe kissing her wouldn't be a good idea at all.  After all, what could she, the niece of Vince McMahon, who could anything or anyone she imagined, possibly see in him other than friendship?  Sure, he'd taken her under his wing when this whole mess with Brock happened, but it seemed to him that she thought of it as him just being a nice guy.  And as much as she knew about his past, he knew nothing of hers.  He's opened up to her about stuff like his relationship with Alanah, Jay, his mother, and his most sensitive issue of all… his father… and she had listened to it all.  But after all this time, she had yet to really tell him anything, except that her parents were never really there for her, which was why she was so close to Shane, Stephanie, and their parents.  Judging by the fact that Brock Lesnar played a big role in that past, he assumed that she didn't exactly LIKE to talk about it.  Shifting his body so that he was laying next to her on the floor, he rested his chin on the top of her head.  Adam thought deeply of where he could go to find out more.  He'd already spoken to Stephanie, and she wasn't much of a help, even though Adam suspected that she knew more that she let on.  Linda McMahon was miles away at the WWE headquarters, and Adam knew that Vince would be of no help to him, either.

"Adam?" Britney asked, suddenly interrupting his thoughts.  "What are you thinking about?"  Adam smiled as she looked up at him, wrinkling her nose slightly as she waited for him to answer.

"Nothing Brit.  Nothing at all," he lied, still transfixed in the thought.

Then, out of nowhere, it hit him.  There was one person who he hadn't who HAD to know about her past… who would also tell it to him straight-up.  _I need to talk to Shane McMahon._


	11. Part 10

PART 10

****

THE NEXT DAY

Adam paced back and forth in the locker room nervously.  He knew he had to approach Shane McMahon tonight before Raw was over, as the man was heading back to Stamford, Connecticut, after the show.  The Canadian ran a hand through his hair, trying to decide on what he would say when he went to Britney's cousin.  He wasn't sure how Shane would react to him, or whether he'd even be willing to answer his questions.  Shane was extremely overprotective over Britney, even more so than he was over Stephanie, and Adam wasn't so sure when he found out what had occurred in his absence.  As he continued pacing, he didn't notice Kurt Angle walking up behind him.

"Great match last night."  He jumped as the Olympic Gold Medallist smacked him on the back, turning around swiftly.

"Oh, hey Kurt," Adam replied distractedly.  Kurt looked at the taller man, concern filling his eyes.

"You okay, man?" he asked, eyeing Adam as he began pacing again.

"Y-yeah," Adam said, "I just… I kinda have something on my mind."

Kurt nodded, "Ah.  Well, did you want to tell me what that something is?"  Adam swung his head, turning his glance toward his shorter friend.  Looking over at the door, he made up his mind that it was now or never.  He had to go talk to Shane NOW.  Walking past Kurt, he patted his friend on the shoulder.

"Maybe later," he said as he made his way out the door.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once outside, Adam headed in the direction of Shane's office.  As he thought of what he was going to say to Shane, his eyes widened slightly, as his often did when he was nervous.  Turning a corner, he smacked directly into a bright redhead.

"Sorry Ames.  I… wasn't paying attention to where I was going," Adam apologized.

"It's cool," Amy said.  "Hey, what's wrong?  You look like you've seen a ghost or something."  Adam sighed, pulling her over to the side of the hall.

"More like or something.  I'm on my way to see Shane.  I… I need to talk to him," he told her.

"I don't like the sound of that.  What do you need to talk to him about?" Amy asked curiously.

"Well, I was doing some thinking last night, and I realized that Britney never opens up about her past.  I REALLY want to know what when on in her life… specifically when she was 15 to 20, since that's when she was…"

"That's when she was with Brock," Amy finished knowingly.

"Yeah," Adam said, "and I know I'll never get the story from Britney herself.  Vince with his delusion filled mind doesn't know shit, and Steph isn't much help either."

Amy nodded, "Well, did you want me to go with you?  I was supposed to meet Matt, but I could just…"

"No thanks, Red.  I'll be fine," Adam cut her off.

"Alright Blondie.  Call me and let know how it goes then?" she requested, squinting as she looked up at him.

"Sure," he said, smiling as he reached out to ruffle her hair.

"I gotta go now.  I'll talk to you soon."  Amy smiled, "See you Adam."  She watched the tall man disappear down the hallway, jumping slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey babe," Matt Hardy said, spinning her around and planting a kiss on her lips.  "What are you looking at?" he asked, pointing down the hall where her gaze had been set.

"Oh, I was just talking with Adam," the redhead answered her boyfriend.

Matt sent her a questioning look, "You look upset.  Is Adam okay?  Wait… did something happen to Britney?"  The older Hardy brother's mind was working a mile a minute, jumping to a million conclusions until Amy shook her head.

"No, no nothing like that!  He's just… stressed as usual.  Love can do that to you, you know," she said, grinning as she playfully smacked him on the arm.

Matt sent her a dramatic look, "Are you saying **I** stress you out?"  Shaking her head, she took his hand.

"Shut up, you diva.  Let's go," she said, taking his hand and leading him down the hallway.

SHANE MCMAHON'S LOCKER ROOM 

Shane sat at his desk, gathering some stuff together before he headed back to Stamford.  After Raw, he was heading back to the WWE offices to resume his job as head of Media Relations.  As he heard a knock at the door, he put his things aside and called for whomever it was to come in.

"Hey Adam!  Have a seat, what's up?" Shane said, grinning upon seeing the blonde man at the door.  Shane noted that Adam appeared to be a little nervous as he took a seat.

"I, uh… was wondering if I could maybe… talk to you for a little while," Adam said in a jittery tone.

Shane smiled, "If this has to do with you rooming with Britney, I'm not upset… or surprised for that matter.  In fact, you're a god to me right now for keeping that faggot away from her," the dark-haired man reassured him.  Adam smiled and sat back, relaxing a little.  _Well that makes the rest of this conversation a little easier._

"Well, I'm glad to help.  Actually though, I'm here because and I've been thinking, and I really don't know much about Britney's past.  I was hoping you could help me out," Adam said pointedly.

"Her… past?" Shane replied, eyes darting up, almost nervously.

The blonde man nodded, paraphrasing himself, "Yeah, so is there anything you could tell me?  Like, what was she like as a teenager?"  Shane frowned, as he didn't like answering this question at all.  Still, after all Adam had done for his baby cousin, he deserved to know.  _But that doesn't mean I'm going to like telling it.'_

"Fucked up," Shane answered dryly, causing Adam to do a double take.  Okay, so he wasn't expecting an amazingly wonderful answer from Shane, but the answer he was provided with certainly surprised him.

"Excuse me?" Adam asked, wondering if maybe he'd misheard him.  Sighing, Shane tried to think of where to start.

"Well, her mom died, an OD, when she was 12.  Her dad was shot by drug dealers a little over 9 months later, so she moved in with us.  My parents were good to her, way better than hers ever were, but still… you just can't replace your birth parents, you know?  So anyway, she wasn't exactly an angelic child for awhile then," he explained.

Adam's emerald eyes were wider than ever.  He knew what usually happened to kids whose parents were involved in drugs… they became involved as well.  He sighed loudly, "Did she… did she start using?"

Shane nodded, "Yeah.  At first, she was just being a normal teenager, smoking pot every once in awhile, which was fine with me, cause I did it myself every so often.  But then she started messing around with acid, and then she started doing cocaine.  I mean, she was only 14 years old and she was doing fucking cocaine.  I remember, this one night, she," he paused to rub at his eyes, which appeared to be tearing up a little, much to Adam's chagrin.  "She… did some coke and then she went out after and drank a lot.  Me and Steph were the only ones home, cause my mom and dad were away on company business, and when they were gone we had no control over her at all.  That night, she came home while I was asleep.  She came in the door and passed out, right on the floor.  Steph was still up, and she SCREAMED for me, and I ran down the stairs to find her laying there, face down on the floor.  They… they had to pump her stomach to get rid of the alcohol poisoning.  And she… when she woke up, she told me that she wanted to die.  That that was why she did it, because she just couldn't stand living anymore.  But she said she changed her mind, and she BEGGED me to keep it a secret from my parents, and to let her stay.  She just kept saying, 'I want to be good now, Shane.  I really want to.'  I didn't know what to do, so I just hugged her.  She said that Steph and I were the only things she had anymore," he finished, not caring anymore as a tear slipped down his cheek.

"Oh my God," was all Adam could mouth.  He couldn't believe what he was hearing.  As if the poor girl hadn't gone through enough in the last five months, she'd been living that way her whole life?  How could Britney, HIS Britney, have gone through all of it and still manage to be happy?  How could she ever be really happy again?

"Oh, I'm not done yet.  It gets REAL good now," Shane said sarcastically.  "This is where good ol' Mr. Lesnar comes into the picture.  I hated that bastard from the beginning, and I knew I should've done something… but… he was the first person Britney had outside of us who REALLY listened to her.  He would sit up with her, sometimes till four in the morning, and listen to her talk about her life.  I know, cause I've sat up in my bed a million times waiting to hear her finally creep up the stairs and go to bed.  He knew what he was doing, cause she fell for him so fast.  And I HATED the age difference, he was 19 and she was had just turned 15.  Now that she's an adult, I probably wouldn't mind it too much, but she was a freshman and he was a senior AND was held back a grade… it just didn't settle well for me.  I knew he wasn't sincere, but everyone told me I was 'too overprotective.'  As first, their relationship went smoothly, but after awhile, Brock got antsy."

Adam watched as Shane stopped to take her breath.  "See, Britney confided in Steph or me about everything, so when he told her that he wanted to have sex with her, she went to her.  She just knew how I'd react, so she stayed away from me.  That's how it had always been.  If either one of them had a problem with a friend or a guy they didn't like bothering them, they went to me.  As far as boyfriends and sex and all that shit, they went to each other.  Anyway, I'd heard a story from a friend about how Brock had a pattern of going out with girls who were "weak" and had been through a lot, because it was easier to sweet talk his way into bed with them.  According to my buddy, who had never lied to me before… and I know he wouldn't make stuff like this up, Brock found that the girls who had rough home lives were the easiest to… well, the easiest to get to fuck him.  He… well, I'm not saying that Brit was an innocent or anything, but…she was… well, that was the last semblance of innocence she had left, and she didn't really want to part with it, not that young.  She'd already parted with everything else."

Adam watched as the occasional tear slid down Shane's cheek, desperately trying to prevent the same thing from happening to him.

"So… so what happened?" Adam asked, although he wasn't so sure he wanted to hear any more answers.

Shane sighed deeply, "Well, he, uh… got what he wanted of course.  To this day, she swears on her mother's life that she wanted it to happen, but I just know.  The way she looked at me after I found out… and the way she looked at HIM, I… I just knew.  He… he forced her.  He HAD to… she wouldn't have done it if he didn't.  She never accepted it… I think she just couldn't."

Adam was completely dumbfounded.  He had gotten so much more than he had bargained for that he almost regretted going at all.  _My God, how can she ever trust a man again?  _The tall blonde closed his eyes momentarily, desperately fighting the tears burning at his eyes.  He just couldn't bring himself to cry in front of Britney's cousin, it just didn't seem right.  The two men sat in complete silence, though the room was heavily filled with emotion.

"I-I… I, uh… damn," Adam broke the silence a few long moments later, though he really didn't say anything.  Shane looked up, seeing that tears had formed in the man's eyes.

"You love her, don't you?" Shane asked, in what Adam swore was a hopeful tone.  Still, as vulnerable as both of them were at the moment, Adam wasn't sure he could afford to give Shane the wrong answer.  If Adam wanted any chance at all of getting through to Britney he would need Shane's help in doing so.

"Well, I… uh… I care about her a lot, and… uh," he stuttered, still not sure of what to say.  Shane eyed him for a moment.  _He has to feel SOMETHING for her.  The way he looks at her… he just HAS to._

"Adam," he continued, "Please tell me that you love her.  She TRUSTS you, and you don't know how unbelievably hard it is to earn her complete trust.  You… if you… you might be the one person who break through her walls and show her that she's worth so much more than she makes herself out to be."

Adam studied the brown-haired man intently.  Shane knew Britney… and what was best for her better than anybody.  _And he WANTS me to be with her?  He honestly thinks that I can break through to her._

"Yes, Shane, I really love Britney.  In fact, I… I don't think I've ever loved someone as much as I do her.  And I feel this need, this fierce need, to protect her, and it's only intensified after what you told me," Adam said truthfully.  Shane looked closely at Adam, the sincerity in the Canadian's eyes shining through.  Shane knew by those eyes that Adam truly did love his cousin, and upon realizing this, he smiled.  Adam gave him an uneasy half smile.

"W-what are you smiling at?" Adam asked nervously.

Shane shook his head, "No reason.  I'm just happy to see that my baby cousin finally has eyes for a REAL man… wow it's late.  You should really go get ready for the show, you know you're on early.  I, uh… I'm glad you came, though."  Adam's half smile turned into a full grin as he stood, shaking the other man's hand while doing so.

"Me too Shane.  Thanks," he said, slowly heading for the door.

"Adam?  Everything I told you stays between me and you.  I don't want any shit going around the locker room," Shane said.

"You got it," Adam replied.  "Shane?" Adam spoke again, looking back at him.  "Do you really think I have a chance with her?"  Shane remained silent for a minute, causing Adam's breath to catch in his throat.

"Did you tell her how you feel about her?" he asked, although he knew the answer.

"No," Adam answered, somewhat sheepishly.

As he turned to exit the door, Shane shook his head, "Don't you think it would be a good idea?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Adam stepped out the door, he sank back against it, heaving a giant sigh.  All the information Shane had given him was too much for the blonde man to handle.  He wasn't sure how he was going to approach Britney about all of this.  He wanted her to know that he knew everything, and that he loved her regardless.  He just wasn't sure he could muster up the strength to do so without breaking down.  He closed his eyes, once again forcing the tears away.  When he opened them, he saw a group of the girls walking down a distant hallway.  Stacy, Torrie, Amy, Nora, Terri, Jacqueline… and Britney.  Britney was the only one who noticed the Canadian standing in the distance.  Her face lit up immediately as she waved to him.  He smiled and waved back, but as she disappeared, so did his smile.  He hoped that from the distance she couldn't see the expression on his face, or his slightly red-rimmed eyes.  He couldn't help but think of what she'd been through, and how well she hid it.  He understood why she hid it, and he also understood that getting her to talk about it would be incredibly hard.  But he didn't really care anymore… all that mattered to him was how terribly he wanted to make all the pain it caused go away.  Pummeling Brock Lesnar along the way didn't seem to be a bad idea, either.  He finally had everything he needed to break through to her, all he needed was the will power to do so.  _God, keep on giving her the strength to go on like she does.  And while you're at it, send some my way, too._

TBC

Was gonna add the next chapter with these 2, but I think I'm going a little fast.  It'll probably up tomorrow or Wednesday.  Thanks for the reviews! Anymore of those, or suggestions for the story or a new story would be much appreciated!


	12. Part 11

Hey guys, I REALLY need reviews for this story.  Just a sentence or two on what you think, PLEASE?!?!  It makes updating a lot easier.

PART 11

TWO WEEKS LATER

Jeff Hardy tossed his gym bag into the corner of his locker room, turned around, and headed out the door to wander.  He did that at every arena the WWE traveled to, aimlessly walking around the halls until he found something better to do.  With a mind as complex as his, he needed these walks to keep him somewhat sane.  After roaming for at least 15 minutes, he spotted Adam.  He was sitting on top of a crate, staring into space.  Jeff approached him and, upon noticing the headphones covering his ears, pulled the plastic off of his head.

"Hey man," the rainbow-haired man said.  "What are you listening to?"

Shrugging, Adam replied, "Nothing really.  Chili Peppers."  Jeff sighed at his friend's distracted expression, much like his distracted reply.

"Alright, since you don't want to talk about music, I'll ask you what I really want to know.  What is up with you lately?" he asked curiously.

Jeff, as well as everyone else, had noticed that Adam had been so quiet and withdrawn the past few weeks, and no one could put their finger on why.  Not even Britney knew, and you could tell that not knowing what was wrong with her roommate was taking its toll on her.  It was Adam's turn to sigh.  He knew this moment was going to come eventually, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"I… I can't explain, really," he said reluctantly.  Everything Shane had told him two weeks earlier had not left his mind for a moment.  He wanted to talk to someone, preferably Britney herself, but anyone would have done.  But he had promised Shane that he would keep the details of their conversation to himself, and he planned on keeping that promise.

"Oh," Jeff said disappointedly, "are you sure?  You know I got your back if something's up."

Adam nodded, "Yeah, I know Jeff.  And I'm really grateful, but, this thing, I'm just… I kinda promised the other party that I wouldn't say anything."

Jeff nodded as well as he replied, "Ah, I get it.  That's cool.  Look, man, I gotta go.  If you wanna talk, just come find me."

"Thanks Jeff," Adam replied as he watched the younger man saunter down the hallway.

Adam was glad that it was Jeff who had approached him, and not any of the other guys.  While Adam knew Jeff was curious, he also knew that the rainbow-haired man was very understanding, and wouldn't pressure him to talk if he didn't want to.  The blonde man rested his head up against the wall again.  He went to put his headphones back on, but he froze when he saw a stalking figure in his peripheral vision.  He turned slowly, and his eyes confirmed what his mind knew was there----- Brock Lesnar.  Feeling the anger slowly beginning to rise in his stomach, Adam took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down.  He SO wished that Jeff was still with him, as he knew his friend would keep him from doing anything stupid.  As he noticed the huge man walking in his direction, Adam clenched his fists tightly, knowing that he would completely lose it if he and Brock came face to face.  For the past two weeks, Adam had been going out of his way to avoid Lesnar.  Knowing that Brock had pretty much raped the woman he was in love with, the Canadian knew that he would only get himself in trouble by starting shit. Still, he possessed a rage he knew would only go away after he got his hands around Brock Lesnar's muscular neck.  As the Next Big Thing made his way toward him, Adam's heart began to pump faster and faster.  It stopped dead when their eyes met and Brock froze in his tracks.  Adam was almost frightened by the look the other man wore as he glared at him from down the hall.  No longer did he wear that cocky, nonchalant grin on his face.  It was replaced by a cold stare, and the evil clearly gleamed through his eyes more than ever before.  Brock wasn't playing buddy-buddy with Adam anymore, and his true hatred for the Canadian was shining through.  Because of Adam, Brock was losing at a game that he was so used to winning, and he wasn't going to go down without a fight.  _Go ahead, asshole.  I don't need to beat you shitless right now, but nothing would please me more, _Adam thought, not allowing Brock's looks to intimidate him.  Adam was definitely not the type to go around starting fights, though, so as much as he WANTED Brock to approach him, he would've rather him stay away.  Brock continued to give Adam that icy glare, and Adam's breath caught in his throat as he took his first step.  _Oh God, here he comes.  Okay, Adam, whatever you do, DON'T hit him.  Just let him-_

"BROCK!" a voice called from down a hall Adam couldn't see.  "I need to talk to you!" the voice called again, and Adam immediately recognized the screeching voice as Paul Heyman's.

As Brock shook his head and walked away in the direction of Heyman, Adam breathed a sigh of relief.  _I never thought I'd be so glad to hear Heyman squeal. _ He was glad to have avoided confrontation, at least for the time being.  Still, he knew one was bound to happen, especially after that stare down.  In Brock's eyes, Adam stole something that belonged to him, and he was going to seek revenge.  Adam was torn about whether or not he even wanted to fight Lesnar.  On one hand, fighting with a co-worker was very junior-high and could get Adam in serious trouble.  On the other hand, the hell Brock put Britney through was motivation enough for Adam to pound the bastard senseless.  In all seriousness, Adam would fight him to the death for her, as she was well worth it.  But he couldn't worry about that now, all he could do was put his headphones back on, and thank God that Paul Heyman had intervened, delaying what both Adam and Brock knew was inevitable.

WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM 

"Brit, you in here?" Amy called as she pushed open the door to the locker room.

"She's not here Amy!" Trish's voice called from inside, causing Amy to sigh with worry.  _I_

_f Adam finds out that I lost sight of her, he will absolutely kill me.  Especially with the way he's been acting lately.  Oh man, where in hell could she be? _Amy thought as she sat down, nodding hello to the divas sitting with Trish.

"What's up Amy?" Trish asked, and Amy shrugged.  "Nothing really," Amy said as she eyed the other divas sitting with Trish---- Terri, Stacy, Jackie, and Carlene Moore---- and she couldn't help but be a little uneasy.  About an hour and twenty minutes ago, Adam had come up to her, asked for a favor.  He told her he needed to get away from everyone for a little while to think, and that he wanted her to look after Britney for him.  Somehow, Britney managed to slip out of her view after her match with Carlene, and Amy hadn't seen her for almost an hour.  She sensed that something wasn't right about the way she disappeared like that.

"What's wrong honey?" Jacqueline asked, as she noticed the younger woman fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Nothing.  I just, uh… I have something on my mind is all," the redhead said.

"Is it about Matt?" Terri questioned, joining the conversation.

Amy shook her head, "Oh no, Matt's fine.  It's just… I kind of lost track of something…"

"That something wouldn't happen to be a little blonde girl named Britney would it?" a man's voice called, and the women turned to see Chris Irvine standing in the doorway.

Amy laughed nervously, "Actually, um… yeah.  Did you find her?"

Chris sighed, "You could say that.  Amy, can I, uh… speak to you privately, please?"  The seriousness in his tone and on his face made Amy, as well as the other divas, fill with worry.

"Uh… sure," she said, slowly standing and following him out the door, leaving the other women behind to wonder what was going on.

"I… I came to you because I saw something I did NOT want to see, and I honestly don't know who else to go to," Jericho explained.

Amy's stomach began to form knots as she spoke, "W-what… oh, God.  What happened to Britney?"  Chris leaned on the wall for support as he led Amy down the halls.

"I… I want you to talk to her, try and find out WHY she did it," he requested.

Amy raised a brow, "Did what?!"  Stopping in front of a door, he grabbed the redhead by the wrists, slowly whispering to her.

"I… I was looking for a place to take a leak a few minutes ago."  She nodded, urging him to go on.  He swallowed hard, not even believing his own words as he retold what he had witnessed.

It's impossible to find a bathroom in these damn arenas, _Chris thought as he searched for a restroom.  Finally, he approached a door with a sign that said "Restroom."  It didn't specify whether it was a men or women's facility, so he just assumed it was coed.  He gently rapped on the door and when he got no response, pushed the door open.  He jumped when he saw a tiny blonde in baggy black sweatpants and a black tank top standing over the sing.  He knew it was Britney, and it was obvious to Chris that she hadn't heard him open the door, as she hadn't acknowledged his presence.  He turned to leave her alone, but something about the way she was standing caught his attention and he stayed where he was.  She was leaning over the sink, and she appeared to be looking closely at something.  He began to wonder if she felt sick or throw up or something._

_"Brit, are you okay?" he asked, causing the young McMahon to shriek and jump._

_"Chris!" she yelled as she turned to face him, knocking over what Jericho saw to be a hand mirror.  Her eyes widened as he slowly made his way to her._

_"What are you doing?" Chris asked curiously as he stepped up to her._

_"I, uh…" Britney stammered nervously.  As Chris stepped up to the sink, he saw the diva jump in attempt to cover the sink, but it was too late._

_"What the…" Chris mumbled incoherently as he gazed in shock at his discovery---- traces of white powder splattered in the sink, with some remains on the mirror.  "Oh my God," he said, looking down into her widened eyes, which were quickly filling with tears.  "Britney, you're doing cocaine."_

"Oh my God… are you serious?!" Amy gasped as the two stood outside the door.

Chris nodded, "I'm afraid so.  I… I can't believe she'd do it, but it's what I saw."  Amy couldn't help but notice the slight waver in Chris's voice.  Damn it, she had been doing so well, too!

"Ames, please go in and talk to her," Chris pleaded.  "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

The redhead sighed, "I… I don't know what I'll say, but all right.  Come with me, please."  The man nodded and allowed her to lead him into the room.  As soon as Britney and Amy made eye contact, Britney's eyes filled with tears as her friend gazed sympathetically at her.

"H-hey," Amy said softly, not knowing how else to start as she sat down on a nearby couch.  Chris took a seat beside Britney on the opposite couch.

Britney's gaze focused on the floor as Amy spoke again, "Brit, I… I want you to know that I'm not mad at you for this.  So, if I sound like I'm yelling at all, I'm sorry.  But I just don't understand.  How, how could you do this?  I thought you were doing so well, and… why would you go and risk everything like that?  What would have happened if an official found you, or anyone but Chris for that matter?  We're not gonna tell on you, but Britney… this is not good."  Amy continued her speech for about five more minutes, tears freely flowing down both girls' cheeks.  "Britney, I just want you to know that no matter what, I love you.  Chris loves you, and Adam and Jay and Jeff and everyone else love you.  I just don't understand why you feel the need to do drugs, and…"

"I'm sorry!  I'm so sorry! I just, I… I can't do this anymore!" Britney suddenly cried, speaking for the first time.  Chris grabbed hold of her and hugged her, desperately trying to calm her down as she shook uncontrollably with sobs.

"Shh, it's okay, honey.  We understand… don't worry about it.  Calm down, please, calm down," Chris said soothingly as he stroked her blonde locks.  After a few moments, Britney still hadn't calmed down, and Amy began to worry about people hearing and being drawn to the room.  Unfortunately, however, that was just what happened.

Both Amy and Chris looked up as the door slowly creaked open and a voice asked, "Is everything okay in here?"

Amy's eyes widened as she recognized the voice, _Oh shit… that's Adam.  _She winced as the tall blonde man entered the room and took in the sight.  Adam was crazy enough withOUT knowing any of what had just occurred.  Amy suspected that he was only a short time away from completely losing his sanity, and this would definitely be one of the last straws.  Adam was, as Amy expected, very unnerved by the sight.  Amy's eyes were red and puffy and Chris was sitting on the opposite couch, eyes wide and face pale, like he'd seen a ghost.  In his arms was a tiny woman with a blonde hair---- a woman he immediately recognized as Britney.

"What happened?!" he asked, alarmed.  Britney didn't look up, but her sobs grew louder as she knew Adam was in the room.  She continued to keep her face buried against Chris's collarbone.  Adam kneeled down in front of the couch, gently stroking her lower back as he mouthed to Chris, "What the hell's going on?"  When his fellow Canadian didn't reply, instead switching his gaze to Amy, Adam grew even more worried.

"Hey Chris?  Why don't you go out there with Adam?  I'll stay here with Brit," Amy suggested quietly, gesturing to Chris to let go of Britney.

"No!" Britney said, clinging tightly to him, and Amy knew it had nothing to do with her not wanting the men to leave the room.

"Brit, he's going to find out eventually," the redhead said knowingly.  "Chris, go."

"A-alright," Chris said reluctantly as Amy sat down in his place.  As Adam followed Chris out the door, he gazed back at the two women.  His heart cringed as his eyes met those of the youngest McMahon.   She looked so little and lost… and so young… it made Adam realize that at 21 years old, she had still never really lived her teenage years.  He felt so terrible for her, and knew that what Chris had to tell him couldn't possibly be good.  As he sent her a questioning look, Britney quickly looked away, turning to Amy as Chris closed the door behind them.

Britney and Amy sat in silence for a few moments, the redhead eyeing her friend as she fumbled with her hands that were resting in her lap.  New tears refilled Britney and Amy's eyes as the blonde tried to speak, "I… I'm sorry Amy.  I don't know w-what came over me.  I-I… I thought I needed a… a pick me up.  I c-can't believe myself.  I, if… oh, God, you must think I'm horrible!"

"No!  I don't think anything like that!  It was wrong to do it… very wrong, but… I just could never think of you as horrible.  I'm just… disappointed, is all," Amy said sadly, but truthfully.  She just couldn't comprehend what could have possibly happened… what went wrong… to push Britney into doing drugs.

"Can I ask a question?"  Amy asked, and when Britney nodded, she continued.

"Did… did something happen to make you want to this?  And… while I'm at it, how did you… buy it, anyway?" she asked.  The hazel-eyed diva was still in shock at her friend.  Had Chris not found her, she would have snorted cocaine, and Amy couldn't even bring herself to say the word.

She listened closely as Britney replied, "I… it wasn't one specific thing, if that's what you mean.  It was just… I don't know, really.  Stress, I guess.  I haven't exactly had the time of my life over the last few months, and I kept shoving my emotions to the back burner.  I guess it's finally catching up to me.  I mean, I always had Adam right there, and he was so set on making me forget that, well… it worked."

Amy raised her eyebrow curiously, "What do you mean 'had Adam?'  You still have him now."

Shaking her head, Britney answered, "I know, but… lately, he's been so… so distant.  It kind of… I don't know, hurt."

Amy nodded, "So… where did you get it?"

Britney laughed dryly, "It's incredibly easy to buy drugs in today's world, Ames."  Britney didn't want Amy to know that she bought drugs from her old dealer----- mainly because she didn't want her to know she ever HAD a dealer in the first place.  Amy gazed at Britney incredulously.  She was in no way experienced with drugs, but she knew that you just didn't pick up a habit, especially one like cocaine, out of the blue.  She suspected there was more to the story, but for the moment, though, she decided that Britney had had enough.  All she could do now was open her arms to her best friend.

Hugging her tightly, she quietly whispered, "I love you, Brit.  You are my best friend, don't EVER forget that."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"She had WHAT?!" Adam cried, desperately hoping that he'd misheard his friend.

"You heard me, Adam.  She had… she had cocaine," Chris said almost inaudibly, not wanting anyone else to hear.

"No… you must have been mistaken," Adam said, voice wavering.

Jericho sadly shook his head, "I don't think so Adam.  I saw it.  I'm no drug guru, but I know what cocaine looks like."

"No, no, no, no…" Adam moaned, almost in a chant as he leaned up against the wall.

"Adam, man, I'm sorry.  She didn't do it, I can tell you that.  But I know what I saw, and what I saw was Britney leaning over a sink about to snort coke," Chris said sadly.

"But, I thought she was… she was doing so… oh, God, no!" Adam cried, kicking the wall forcefully with the heel of his wrestling boot, hurting his foot while doing so.  Chris slowly laid a hand on his friend's arm.

"I… I'm sorry," he said, studying Adam with a concerned eye.  The taller of the two men looked like he was about to snap.  Adam ran a distraught hand through his long hair.  _How did this happen?  What went wrong?  If I wasn't off being a selfish ass, and being so caught up in how I felt, none of this would have happened.  I would have seen it… I SHOULD have seen it._

"This is all my fault," Adam thought aloud, causing Chris to tighten the grip on his arm.

"No it's not.  Don't say that," he told him.  Suddenly, something inside Adam snapped.  All the mixed emotions Adam had been feeling for the last two weeks came flooding out, erupting after the bomb Chris dropped on him, and he exploded.

"Don't tell me it's not my fucking fault!  **I** was SUPPOSED to take care of her, protect her so that shit like this didn't happen!  I've been so caught up in my own feelings to even realize what the hell was going on with her!  I… I should have known, I should have known," Adam said, tears finally escaping his eyes as he slid down the wall, crouching on the ground.

As he buried his face in his knees, Chris kneeled down next to him, not sure of what to do.  He had never seen Adam like this, and even though he knew it was coming, he was not mentally prepared for it.  Finally, he gave up searching for a solution, and pulled his friend into a hug.

"Shit, Adam, come here," he said, trying to control Adam as he broke down in the middle of the hallway.  Chris absolutely hated the way Adam was putting all of this on himself.  As much as he loved Britney, this was all her choice, and there was nothing Adam could do about it.

"Damn it, Adam.  You're doing all you can.  You're TRYING… that's all you can do.  If… if you can't help her, than maybe… maybe no one can," Chris said honestly, even though he regretted admitting it.  As much as he hated to think about it, it could very well be true----- Adam could have gotten to Britney too late in her life to change her view.  Adam, however, thought very differently.  He lifted his head, staring at Chris with his emerald, tear-filled eyes.

"No.  I refuse to give up on her.  I'll fight to get through to her till the day I die if I have to.  I love her Chris, and I will get through to her.  I'm not sure how, but I'll get through to her."


	13. Part 12

PART 12

LATER THAT NIGHT

Brock Lesnar rested back against the headboard of his hotel room bed, unable to sleep.  His mind wandered back to the stare down he'd had with a certain tall Canadian a few hours earlier.  If it weren't for that damn "agent" of his, Paul Heyman, Brock would have had things HIS way.  He would have marched right down the hall and stomped the shit out of the bastard.  After all, Copeland had STOLEN something that belonged to him.  _And I have every right to take it back.  I'll get Britney back again soon enough.  As I soon I get rid of Copeland, I'll get back what belongs to ME.  I'll be damned if I let some pretty boy with long blonde hair get away with stealing my girlfriend-  _His thoughts trailed off as he heard the shrill ring of his cell phone.  Picking up the Motorola phone, he pressed the button and answered.

A deep, raspy voice replied, "Man, you're not going to believe what I saw tonight."  Brock smiled as he recognized the man's voice.  He'd asked his new friend to watch over Britney, especially while she was with Adam.  The two of them would never suspect a thing.  Everyone had always known him to be very nosy, so if he was ever caught eavesdropping, no one would think anything of it.  Brock had considered asking Paul Heyman to do the work for him, as he knew the man would do anything with a little bribery, but it would have been too obvious that the Next Big Thing had sent him.

When the man didn't answer, Brock sighed tiredly, "What did you see?"

"You're buddy Copeland, crying like a fucking girl in the middle of the hallway.  Jericho was all hugging him and stuff.  REAL funny shit, you shoulda been there," the voice said, laughing.

"Aw, poor baby.  What happened, did he break a nail or something?" Brock asked his friend, laughing as well.  Then, the Minnesota native grew more serious, "Something happened between him and Britney?"

"Actually," he answered, "from what I heard Jericho saying, he found your girl about to do a line of coke.  When Copeland found out, he was absolutely devastated.  Broke down right then and there."

Brock's smile faded, "I knew it wouldn't be long till that bitch took up crack again.  Lord knows it was her favorite thing to do when she was 14."

The man on the other line gave a raw laugh, "Yeah, once a crack whore, always a crack whore.  So, uh… after what I saw… he's definitely vulnerable.  So, when… when are we gonna 'do the deed?'"

Brock gave an annoyed sigh, "Christ, man, you act like we're murdering the guy!"

"Hey," the man said sternly, "With any luck, we'll kill the bastard and his little friends, too."

"Look man, don't get too caught up in Reso and the others.  This isn't about them.  Besides, I don't even know what we're doing yet.  We might not physically mess with him for a while.  I already fucked Britney up enough, so now there's just her little boy toy to get to.  I might have more fun screwing with his pretty little head," Brock said.  Sometimes he wondered why, as the younger of the two men, he was the more mature.

"Oh, alright.  I'll just keep on the lookout then.  You know, I'm only doing this to get my hands on that punk ass Canadian for what he did to me."

Brock sighed yet again, "Yes, I do.  And I appreciate it.  But I really don't care about the other guys, as long as I get my hands around Adam Copeland's throat long enough to choke the fucking life out of him."

With that said, he ended the conversation, flipping his phone shut.  The plan Brock had wasn't even a plan yet… he just knew whatever he did, he wanted to prove to Adam that he couldn't mess with him.  He also wanted to prove to Britney that there was no way in hell she was getting away from him again.  _Oh yeah, wait a couple weeks and we'll see just how mentally tough Adam Copeland really is._

DOWN THE HALL 

Britney sat alone on the private balcony attached to her and Adam's hotel room.  As the gently May breeze whirled around her, thoughts of the night whirled around in her head.  Adam still hadn't returned from the show, and she wondered if he even would, after he found out what she'd done.  She really couldn't blame him for avoiding her since earlier that night.  She and Amy slipped out unnoticed so that Britney could just get back to the hotel.  The redhead had offered to stay with her, but the blonde turned her down, just wanting to be left alone for a while.  _What the fuck was I thinking?  I risk losing my job, my friends, everything!  And the one man in the world that I love and trust with all my heart probably thinks I'm a crack whore!  _She was incredibly relieved that Chris had shown up, as her friend had stopped her from making one of the biggest mistakes in her entire life.  If she had done the coke, she would have immediately been hooked, and Britney doubted she'd been fortunate to break the addiction more than once.  She still couldn't believe herself… she was seconds away from doing what she vowed years ago would never happen again.  She sat for a while, silently gazing at the starlit sky.  After a while, she grew tired and realized that Adam probably wasn't coming back, and decided it was time to head in for bed.  Standing up and stretching, she slowly turned to the door and headed into the room.  After she closed the door and locked it, she turned and jumped, startled to see Adam sitting on the edge of his bed.  His eyes were locked on her, and Britney guessed he was watching her from the time he got in, whenever that was.  As she cautiously moved toward him, his gaze did not move, remaining intensely locked on her.  She couldn't bear to look him in the eye, to be forced to see the disappointment on his face.  She had heard him yelling and freaking out in the hallway.  He must have been so incredibly disappointed in her, even more so than she was in herself.  Britney blatantly tried to walk right past him without saying a word, but the Canadian grabbed her by the wrists, pulling her down next to him.  They sat in silence for a few moments, Britney's eyes focusing on Adam's bare chest as he continued to stare her down.  She felt as though he was yelling at her with his eyes, telling her how much she had let him down.

Finally, after a few choked-up attempts, Adam spoke, "Brit… you… you're so smart, and so athletic, and so… beautiful.  Why?  Why do you want to do this to yourself?"

Britney's eyes instantly filled with tears for the umpteenth time in the last 72 hours.  Feelings of guilt and disappointment washed over her yet again.  Questions she had asked herself earlier ran through her head again.  _What the fuck was I thinking?  _Tears fell continuously down her cheeks as her pained expression grew.  The petite blonde took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm her nerves, but it didn't help much.

Her voice was extremely small as she spoke, "I-I… I'm… sorry."

"I know you are," Adam said, "but that doesn't explain WHY.  And I want to know why.  I can't help but feel like I didn't watch you closely enough."

Britney's head lowered slightly in shame, "I don't know what came o-over me, why I thought I'd get away with it.  I don't know why I did it, Adam. If I did, you know I would tell you."

A few more tears slipped down her cheeks.  She absolutely HATED lying to him, while she knew damn well what she was doing and why she was doing it, but she just couldn't tell Adam that.  He would be so unbelievably disappointed if knew about her past, she just couldn't bring herself to tell him any of it.  Adam looked at her, head facing the hands resting in her lap.  As the two sat in silence once more, the thought of Britney buying, let alone actually DOING cocaine ran through Adam's mind.  Picturing her buying coke from a crackpot dealer on some dark city street did not settle well in his stomach, even if he did know that she had done it before.  Suddenly, a question popped into his mind.

"Brit, I want you to be completely honest with me.  Does this have anything to do with Brock?  Cause if it does, I want to know.  I swear, if he did anything, I'll-"

"He didn't," she said, still refusing to look up.  "I-I mean, he didn't directly do anything to me.  He… he's a, uh… big part of the reason, though."

Adam sighed, _that means I could be right.  Maybe it was ME who drove her into doing this. _Figuring he no longer had anything to lose with her, he asked her, "What about me?"  When she didn't answer him, he elaborated.  "Was it me?  Did I have anything to do with your decision?  I… I know I've been kind of avoiding you lately…"

"Yeah, you have," she cut in sarcastically.  _Okay, _Adam thought, _I'll take that remark as a "yes" to my question._

"Look, I'm really sorry, I just… I've had a lot on my mind lately," the Canadian said apologetically.

"I… um… sorry about that," she said, referring to her dry interruption.

"No, I should be apologizing.  I've been neglecting you over the last few weeks, and I shouldn't have been."  Britney sighed loudly, placing her elbows on her thighs and resting her face in her palms.  _I really am an ass.  This man treats me like gold, and how do I treat him back?  Like shit, that's how.   _More tears silently fell as she responded.

"It's not your responsibility to keep me safe or happy.  I'm 21 freakin' years old, I should know how to take care of myself by now.  I've been doing it all my life," she said, gasping at her final statement.  Adam took the opportunity to jump on her statement.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked curiously, even though he already knew the answer.

"I, uh, nothing.  Look, all I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't put this on yourself, because it's my own fault, not yours," she quickly said, trying to brush off his question.  She prayed he wouldn't pressure her to answer that question again.  Adam took a deep breath, upset at how shaky it had sounded.

"So, it… it was everything… all piled into one?" he asked softly.

"Yeah. It just got too hard, and while you were off in your own little world, I had no one to go to.  Everything piling up just collapsed on me, and I, I almost…" she trailed off.

"Almost what?" he asked fearfully.  Britney raised her gaze for the first that night, her eyes locking with his.  He could practically feel the knife thrusting at his heart as he looked in her eyes.  The usually bright blue orbs were now red-rimmed, bloodshot, and tear-filled.  The emotion filled the room in a dense fog and Adam kept his eyes fixed on her as she answered.

"I almost wanted… to… die."  Adam's mouth went dry as ashes.  It seemed everything that Shane had told him about her past was happening again----- like she was reliving her childhood.

"I-I… I… my God," he said, unable to form words.  Adam's eyes filled with tears as she lowered her head again.  "W-why?" he asked a little more harshly than he liked, wincing as he lost the battle to hold the tears in his eyes from falling.

Britney hesitated a long moment before slowly answering, "I… I don't know.  I just… I got so accustomed to having you with me 24/7 that it made me forget everything.  Well, you kinda… distanced yourself over the last few weeks, and it… it got to me.  It made me realize that maybe I'm not okay.  I'm still not over this thing with Brock, or a lot of things from my past for that matter.  With you not there, it forced me to think about it.  I just got so depressed, and my world just kind of… collapsed."  Adam breathed an inaudible sigh as he gazed up at the ceiling.  He couldn't help but feel that he was to blame for all of this.  If he had just BEEN there when she needed him, like he swore he would do, none of this would have happened.

"I'm… I'm sorry," he said sadly, switching his gaze to just above her head on the wall.

"Don't be," Britney said with a sniffle.  "I-it… like I said, it's not your fault.  It's not your job to…"

"But I promised you that I wouldn't let this happen," the Canadian said dejectedly.

"It's okay.  I'm here now, and so are you.  I know I'll get over this depression thing, I always do.  It's okay, really," she said, though her tone didn't give him much assurance.

"No, it isn't.  I promised you…"

"I don't believe in promises anyway," the youngest McMahon interrupted truthfully.  "Never have for years."  Adam sighed again, rubbing his eyes and then running his hand through long hair.

"Brit, I realize that your past has given you no reason to believe in people's promises, but I'm not a part of your past.  I do my damn best to KEEP my promises," he told her.  Britney had no response for that, so the two sat once more in silence.

After a few minutes, Britney spoke.  "I'll understand if you want to stop rooming with me.  I… I haven't been the best roommate in the world.  If it's too much for you… just… let me know, and… I'll go," she said regretfully.  As painful as it would be for her to leave, Adam just did not deserve what she was putting him through.  He certainly didn't ask for all this, and she just couldn't impose on him anymore.  "No!  I'll admit, it's been a little… crazy… since you came along, but I would never want you to leave!  I really love spending time with you, and I would miss you so much if you were gone, even if you were just staying in a different room," he told her.

"But, why?  I'm not that special," she said quietly.  Adam half smiled as he continued to stare at the wall.  "You are to me.  You make me feel so strong, so needed.  When I'm with you, I feel like I'm ten feet tall.  We were so close before, and I think this has definitely brought us closer.  I wouldn't give up my time with you for the world."  The blonde man stopped to take a breath.  "I… when this all started, I really felt, and still feel, like I need to protect you.  I want to take all your pain, and everyone that's ever hurt you, and make it all go away.  Show you that there are good people in the world.  You really have been such a great friend, without even realizing it, and I hope we can stay this close forever, even after our time in the ring is up.  You've always been there for me, and I hope I can do the same for you.  I just… I'm so sorry I didn't notice…"

"You're crying," Britney interrupted as she looked up at him for the first time in a few minutes.  Adam's eyes widened a little… he so didn't want her to notice that.

"I… uh… yeah," he admitted, a little embarrassed.

Seeing his cheeks redden slightly, Britney almost cracked a smile.  The half smile faded quickly when she realized why he must have been crying.  _What the hell have I done?  I put the poor guy through hell, and he deserves SO much more than that.  _Even more tears flowed down the blonde diva's cheeks.  She bit back the sob threatening to escape her lips as best she could.  She really let him down.  She let Chris and Amy down as well, and Britney was positive that if anyone else found out, they would feel the same way.  And what would happen if Stephanie or, god forbid, Shane found out?  After containing herself for a few moments, Britney just couldn't do it anymore.  Much like she had done earlier in the evening, the young McMahon exploded.

"I'm so sorry!  I just… I don't know what's going on with me… but, I… I'm sorry!" she cried loudly.  Adam jumped, startled upon hearing her cry out.

As she began to sob loudly, the Canadian pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tightly in his embrace.  He absolutely hated the helpless feeling he was getting.  It seemed no matter what he did, or how hard he tried, he just couldn't make her life any better.  It made him feel totally useless.  He shifted their bodies around so that they were laying down, Britney's body underneath the blanket and his on top.  Not knowing what else to do, he simply laid next to her, holding her tightly as her shoulders shook slightly from the sobs.  A tear slowly slid down Adam's cheek as he looked down at the young woman in his arms.  All he could do now was hold her, and not let go, until she cried herself to sleep.


	14. Part 13

PART 13

****

TWO WEEKS LATER

Chris and Adam sat quietly in the hotel lobby, each man picking at the food they'd selected for lunch.  Both men were a little fidgety, and it was clear that they were a little uncomfortable.  Adam sighed loudly as he raked his fingers through his long hair.

"Do you think I should call and see if they're okay?" he asked uneasily.  Chris looked up at him, a lock of blond hair freeing itself from its ponytail as he did so.

"Adam, look," he started, sighing.  "I know you're worried, but there just isn't anything you can do.  You can't follow her around 24/7.  You seriously need to calm down. You're… you're scaring me."  Adam sighed again, pushing his plate aside and resting his head in his hands.

"Chris, I can't… I can't help it.  Ever since a couple weeks ago, I… I'm really worried about her.  She's just not the same Britney anymore.  I know she's with Amy and that Ames would never let anything happen to her, but I just… it's like I'm not sure she's okay unless she's with me," he admitted.

Ever since Chris had discovered Britney with the cocaine, the young McMahon had been so distant and shady.  She became very jumpy around everyone, and it was becoming extremely difficult to keep the whole ordeal to the four of them.  Adam was even more heartbroken on a few nights when he would enter their hotel room to find that she had yet again cried herself to sleep.  It was like she was slowly slipping away and there was nothing he could do to stop it.  His thoughts were suddenly broken when an annoying voice cut through them.

"Hey guys!  Why the long faces?"  Adam lifted his head to see Paul Heyman standing at the side of their booth.

"Nothing Paul," Adam replied, turning to Chris and rolling his eyes.  Chris smirked, hoping Paul would just take the hint that they didn't want any company and just go away.  He knew, though, that the former ECW owner was too annoyingly persistent to just back off.  He also knew that he was up to something, as the Paul didn't just walk up to people acting concerned for the hell of it.  The shorter of the two Canadians rolled his eyes as well as he saw him go to speak again.

"Are you sure?  Cause it looks like you boys are upset… hey, this doesn't have anything to do with Britney, does it?  Cause I saw her a little while ago, and boy, did she look depressed!  I mean depressed with a Capital D!  I mean…"

"Alright Heyman!" Adam snapped, slamming his fists down on the table.

Paul jumped at Adam's response, "I… sorry, I went a little far there.  Well, while we're at the subject, I hear Ms. McMahon has been having quite a rough time lately.  I guess the stresses of the business are finally getting to her.  I didn't know her too well, but she just seemed much happier while she was with Brock."  Adam turned to glare angrily at Paul.  _That fat asshole has no clue what the hell he's talking about.  _Taking a slow, deep breath, Adam tried his best to remain calm.

"Don't you dare-" he started, stopping abruptly when Chris kicked him in the shin from under the table.  He knew exactly what Heyman was up to, and he didn't like that his game was working on Adam.

"Paul, if you don't mind, we're trying to finish our meal here, okay?" Chris said, hoping this conversation could end without Adam strangling the man.

Pulling his smug face into a cold frown, he sighed, "Fine."

As Heyman turned away from Adam and Jericho, the frown on his face transformed into the sly and evil grin seen on WWE TV.  _Wait_ _till I tell Brock that his whole "psychology" thing is working.  Both Adam and Britney are slowly breaking down, and eventually they'll break apart.  Hell *both* of the guys will be ecstatic._

LATER THAT AFTERNOON 

Vince McMahon sat a desk in his temporary office, speaking on the phone with one of the producers for that night's show.  He looked up when the door opened, preparing to scold whomever it was for not knocking.  He stopped when he saw Britney walk in, wearing baggy black sweatpants and a white wifebeater tank top.  Hanging up the phone, Vince studied her intensely as she loudly chewed a piece of gum.  She looked much younger than her 21 years, and Vince couldn't help but notice how similar she looked to, well, when she was 14.

"Well?" she said, placing her hands on her hips.  "You said you wanted to see me?"  Although the chairman had personally requested a meeting with his niece, he dreaded the moment actually coming.  They hadn't spoken much since Vince had hired Brock Lesnar and quite frankly, he thought she wanted it that way.  The look she was sending him all but confirmed her thoughts.

"Yes, I uh--- well," he started, clearing his throat.  _Damn it, why am I so nervous?  _"Britney, I called you in here because I'm worried about you.  You haven't been yourself lately," he said honestly.

"How nice of you to notice," she said dryly.

"Well, do you want to tell me what's going on?" he asked curiously.

Britney laughed ruefully, "Yeah, I would like to tell you what's going on.  Thanks to your newest employee, I have had the shittiest four months of my life."

Vince sighed, "Brit, I know you've got no reason to like Brock, but he's not a bad kid, and he's a super athlete.  I can't NOT hire him because of you.  Let's not be selfish…"

"Selfish?!  You've got to be fucking kidding me!  Vince, you don't know Brock!  He's not such a good kid like you think he is!  You're fucking insane if…"

"There's no reason to raise your voice to me young lady!  I didn't tolerate it when you were a kid, and I sure as hell won't tolerate it while you work for me.  I asked you to come in to talk, not yell at me about my business decisions," he said as calmly as possible.

Britney rolled her eyes, "Sorry Uncle Vince."  Vince sighed loudly as he eyed his niece one more time.  She looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept in days.  He couldn't stand seeing her this way.  Ever since his sister and brother-in-law died, Britney had been like a daughter to him, and he didn't want to see her so depressed.

"Brit, honey, I'm sorry.  I'm just worried, that's all.  I don't want you ending up like your mother, that's all," he said seriously.  He didn't want his niece to end up like his sister, marrying some bastard crack addict and bringing her down with him.

"Don't bring my mother into this!  It wasn't her fault she ended up like she did!  If you weren't so damn BLIND, you'd see that I already AM like my mother.  If you were a REAL uncle, you'd get your head out of your ass and see through Brock!  He's not a good kid!  He's a monster, and he destroyed every ounce of self respect I ever fucking had!" Britney snapped testily, turning and storming out of the room.  Vince sighed once more, resting his head in his hands.

Outside the door, a bulky man slowly made his way out of the shadows behind the door.  Once he was sure Britney was completely out of sight, he took out his cell phone.  He located the name "Lesnar" in his address book, pressed "Send" and waited.  Smirking as the phone rang, he thought of what he had overheard while he was "walking by" Vince McMahon's office.  Brock would certainly get a kick out of what the tiny McMahon had said about him.

FOUR DAYS LATER 

Adam was driving his rental car down a highway, Britney sitting in the passenger seat as he made his way to the next city.  He had met up with her at the airport after a two-day break and they were now headed to the next hotel.  Once again, neither of them were saying much of anything.  Pretty much every time they were together, Britney remained silent, speaking only when Adam couldn't bear the silence any longer and asked her a question.  For the most part, the drive was smooth.  However, a few miles up there was an accident, and Adam cursed as they approached a back up of cars.

"Shit," he mumbled as he came to a stop.

Britney said nothing, but leaned over to flip on the radio.  After fumbling around with the buttons, she settled on a rock station.  Adam knew that the diva preferred rap, but she knew that he despised it.  So, when they traveled together, she settled on his music, which she honestly didn't mind.  Adam turned to gaze at her as another song, which he recognized as Linkin Park's "Crawling" began to play.  As she stared out the slightly opened window, Adam saw somewhat of a transformation on his friend's face.  She reached over and twisted the volume button, turning the song up until it was blasting out of the speakers before resting her head on the window and staring out it once more.  Her expression grew dark as she sang along with the radio.

"This lack of self-control I fear is never ending.  Controlling, I can't seem… to find myself again, my walls are closing in," she sang quietly.

Adam's eyes widened slightly at her, almost in fright.  Normally, the Canadian would have enjoyed hearing the song and would have sang to it with her.  But quite honestly, she was scaring him at the moment.  The possessed look in her expressive eyes told him that the lyrics described exactly what she had been feeling as of late.

Crawling in my skin 

_These wounds they will not heal_

_Fear is how I fall_

_Confusing what is real_

_Discomfort endlessly has pulled itself upon me_

_Distracting, reacting_

_Against my will I stand beside my own reflection_

_It's haunting, how I can't seem_

_To find myself again, my walls are closing in_

_((Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just_

_too much pressure to take))_

_I've felt this way before_

_So insecure_

Britney continued singing until Adam, who couldn't take it any longer, snatched the button and turned the radio off.

"Crawling in my… hey!" she said, startled as she realized she was now singing alone.  Adam said nothing, turning his head and clutching the steering wheel.  Britney gazed at him, her glance traveling to his hands, which were gripping the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.  "Damn, I didn't think I sung THAT badly," she said sarcastically.

Once again, he remained silent, so Britney gave up and turned her head away.  Traffic began to move, and Adam slowly drove the car for about a mile before reaching another bumper to bumper jam.

"Damn it!" Adam yelled, slamming his hands on the steering wheel, causing Britney to jump.

"Christ, Adam!  It's just traffic!" Britney said moodily.  Adam sighed, raking his fingers through his hair as he shifted in his seat to gaze at her.  If only it WAS the traffic that was making him so frustrated.  Though she obviously didn't know it, Britney was the actual cause of his frustrations.

"It's not the traffic, Brit.  It's… it's you," he said, somewhat reluctantly.  He watched her whip her head around to glare at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" she snapped.

Adam hesitated before answering, "Look… I didn't mean it like anything!  I… I don't know what I mean!  All I know is that, well, lately, you've changed.  It scares me to see you slipping away like this!  You just seem so out of it, and I'm really worried.  I just… I just care about you so damn much and, I… I want the REAL you back."

Britney bit the inside of her lip as it began to quiver.  She could tell by his tone, expression and eyes that Adam wasn't lying.  He really did care, and she really did worry him.  To have someone like him in her life really touched the young woman.  It also made her realize how selfish she was being.

Lowering her head slightly, she spoke, "God, Adam, I… I'm sorry.  You've done nothing but support me and take care of me and I treat you like shit.  I guess Shane was right when I said I was taking you for granted. I-I… I'm sorry."  Adam's gaze turned from upset to sympathetic almost immediately after hearing her statement.

"Don't be.  I understand that it's hard for you, but… it's hard for me too, sometimes," Adam said softly.  Britney sighed, resting her head against the window.

"I'm trying Adam.  To get better, I mean. And I was doing fine, up until my… incident… a while ago.  I'm hoping it was just a setback, that's all.  But still, I know it's gotta be hard for you.  I must not be the best roommate in the world, or friend for that matter.  Like I said before, if you want me to stop…"

"And like **I** said before, I would never want you to go," Adam interrupted.  "I know you're a good person, Brit.  I know that buried somewhere deep within you is the woman I've grown to have such an amazing friendship with.  I just wish you'd show more of it.  Either way, you are an amazing woman, and… I…" he trailed off.

_I love you… damn it! I'm NEVER gonna tell her how I feel.  Come on Adam, how hard could it be?  What's the worst that could happen?  _He opened his mouth to speak when another voice in his head caught him.  _She could unhook that seatbelt, get out of the car and book ass, that's what's the worst that could happen!  _Okay, so maybe stuck on a jam-packed highway wasn't exactly the best place to profess an undying love to someone.  He snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Britney's arm move out of the corner of his eye.  She raised her left arm, opening her hand so that her palm was facing toward him.  The tall man was confused for a moment, but quickly realized what she was doing.  Taking his right hand off the steering wheel, he opened his hand and flattened his palm against hers.  For a moment, he simply stared at their hands, marveling at how much smaller hers was than his.  As traffic finally began to move, their fingers entwined and they rested their connected hands on the middle of the seat.  Adam thought the scene to be very symbolic.  It seemed that when the two were separated, life became overwhelming and turned to an unwelcome standstill, much like the traffic.  However, they could make it through the traffic, and any other tribulation of life for that matter, as long as they were connected and together.

JUDGEMENT DAY- MAY 19, 2002 Adam sat in the back of the locker room he was sharing with some of the guys, lacing up his wrestling boots.  He was getting ready for his Hair vs. Hair Match with Kurt Angle later on that evening.  Adam was especially excited about tonight's match, not only because it would be one of the best name-making matches of his career, but he would also be winning the match, which meant he was shaving Angle's head bald.  A smile crept to his face as he noticed the barber chair on the entrance ramp being shown on the monitor.  He was SO going to enjoy shaving his friend's head bald.  A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. "Come in!" he called, finishing tying his boot as he looked up to see Shane McMahon walk into the room.  "Hey, haven't seen you in awhile," Adam said, smiling at the shorter man as he sat down next to him, shaking his hand. "Hey, I know.  So, you ready to become Edge the Barber tonight?" Shane asked jokingly. Adam laughed, "Oh, I can't wait.  I might consider taking it up when I'm done in the ring."  Shane laughed, and then his expression grew serious. "Um, seriously though, Adam, congratulations.  This is a real big match on the card and I'm really proud of you.  No one deserves the push you're getting more than you.  I expect you to go out there with all you got, like you always do, and have a kick-ass match," he complimented.  Adam was flattered by Shane's comments.  The boss's son was only 3 or 4 years his senior, but he knew the business inside and out, and a compliment like that was much appreciated. "Wow, thanks man," he said graciously.  Shane grew silent, and Adam took the opportunity to study the man.  Although his expression was unintelligible, Adam sensed that Shane had more on his mind than his match with Kurt. "Shane?  What else did you come here for?" he asked knowingly. The Boy Wonder laughed somewhat nervously, "Ah, you know me well.  Okay, I guess I shouldn't beat around the bush… have you told Britney?"  Adam felt his stomach drop at the question.  Adam had honestly planned on telling her about his feelings for her, but with everything that had been going on with her as of late, he just didn't want to pile any more stress on her. "Well, I, uh… not really," he said, and quickly added, "but I meant to, I really did.  We just… it's been a rough few weeks."  Adam didn't like leaving out the details, but he just couldn't bring himself to tell Shane that his baby cousin was caught with drugs.  Shane eyed him for a minute, hesitating before answering. "I know about something's up, Adam," he said matter-of-factly. Adam's eyes widened, "What?!  How?  W-who told you?!" Shane shook his head sadly, "No one did.  You'd be surprised what I can figure out just by looking at her.  I've known her her whole life and she hasn't changed one bit.  But I trust that you talked to her about it, so I'll spare her the agony of explaining it to me." Adam didn't know what to say.  He knew he had let Shane down, as this was the kind of thing he had promised to keep from happening.  "I… I'm sorry man.  I-I know I should have seen… this… coming, but I just turned a blind eye.  I'm sorry," he said shamefully. Putting a hand up in protest, Shane replied, "Don't be sorry.  You never could have saw it coming.  She's really good at hiding things like this," Shane assured him. "But Adam," he continued, "I really want you to tell her, and soon.  I know for a fact that she loves you just as I much as I think you love her, but she won't wait forever." Adam frowned, "I've tried SO many times Shane, but I always choke.  It… it just doesn't come out right." "Well for her sake and yours, I hope it comes out right soon.  If you don't suck it up and do it soon, you will lose her.  And trust me when I say this, you WON'T get her back.  She will go crawling back to Brock, and God only knows what would happen then," the brown haired man said, standing up.  "I have to go, but think about what I said," Shane said as he made his way to the door. Adam nodded silently as he watched him make his way to the door.  As he twisted the knob, Shane turned to face Adam again.  "I mean it Adam.  I love my baby cousin and I want to see her happy.  She's been hurt so much, and I'm not sure she's got much left in her.  You might be her last hope.  Please take advantage of it." 

To Be Updated REAL soon! Let me know what you think, PLEASE!!!! ;)


	15. Part 14

PART 14

****

ABOUT A MONTH LATER

Jay slid the keycard into his hotel room door and made his way in.  Upon entering, he saw Stephanie sitting on the couch, sipping a glass of iced tea while flipping through a magazine.

"Hey," Jay said, grinning as he eyed his girlfriend appreciatively.  Although it was only early June, they were in Florida, and the temperature was around 83.  Stephanie was dressed accordingly, wearing a halter-top and a pair of very short shorts.  Jay was so used to seeing her dressed professionally, in business suits and all, that he took a big liking to her dress, or lack thereof.

"Nice outfit," he commented.  "I don't remember seeing it when you unpacked.  I'm sure I would have noticed such an outfit if I saw it, Ms McMahon."  Leaning in to accept his kiss, she smacked him lightly as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Ew, you perve.  If you must know, it's Britney's," she replied, sticking her tongue out as she settled back against him.

"Well you should definitely send thanks to her for that," he said, sticking his tongue out in reply.  Sometimes Stephanie couldn't believe how Jay, and Adam and Chris too for that matter, acted like 17-year-old boys.  _Must be a blonde Canadian thing._

"So, how did your 'bonding' with Adam go?" she asked curiously.

"I think he's finally going to tell her," Jay replied, smile slowly creeping onto his face.

Stephanie's eyes widened as she grinned, "Really?  He said that?"

Jay laughed as he told her, "He said he was.  He told me your brother talked to him about a month ago and told him he'd better do it soon or he'd lose her."

"That's for sure.  I know Britney, and as much as she loves Adam, she just won't wait forever," Stephanie agreed.

"Well, I think he's finally going to do it tonight.  Let's hope he's not too late," Jay said seriously.

"Yeah," Stephanie nodded.  "Jay?  You don't think Adam would ever hurt her, do you?"  Jay shifted in his seat to gaze down at his girlfriend.  He was shocked she would even ask that question.  _A cow would fly out of Adam Copeland's ass before he would ever hurt Britney McMahon._

"Are you crazy?!  Steph, trust me, I KNOW Adam.  He loves Britney more than anything…"

"So he says.  Brock said the same thing," the brunette interrupted somewhat bitterly.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!  How can you even COMPARE Adam to Brock?  They're complete opposites!  Steph, you know Adam would never in a billion years hurt her, and you know I'd kill him if he did.  Look, I know that all you want is to see her happy.  Well, this is her chance!  Adam will treat her like a queen once he finally tells her how he feels about her."  Stephanie frowned, lowering her head slightly.

"I… I'm sorry Jay.  I know that Adam's probably the best thing to happen to her since, well… ever, but I just can't shake the idea of her getting hurt again," she said sadly.  Jay shook his head, wrapping his arms more tightly around her.

"Adam would never let that happen."

LATER THAT NIGHT 

"Brit?" Adam called into the seemingly empty hotel room.

As he walked through the rooms and couldn't find the tiny blonde anywhere, he began to worry.  What if she'd gone somewhere with Amy or Steph?  Earlier in the day, Jeff and Chris mentioned that they would possibly go out and look for a good club.  What if Jeff asked her to go and she agreed?  That would REALLY put a damper on his plans for the evening.  Not that he had a real plan anyway.  He still had no idea how to approach the subject, so he was just going to wing it.  Adam breathed a sigh of relief when he finally located her.  She was out on the private balcony, sitting Indian-style on a chair.  Taking a deep breath, Adam slowly made his way to the sliding glass door.  Before he slid it open, he stopped to take one more deep breath.  _This is it.  Don't choke this time, Adam,  _he told himself.  He slid the door open and quietly stepped out.

"Hey, he said, surprised when she didn't jump as she normally would.

"Hey," she replied, smiling as she gestured for him to sit in the seat next to her.  He sat down, stretching out his long legs as he gazed at her.  For the first time in weeks, she appeared to be genuinely happy.  Smiling at the thought, the Canadian turned his head to take in the scenery.  The hotel was located right on a beach and their balcony overlooked the ocean, waves slowly cascading up the sandy shore.  The sunset sky was full of oranges, pinks and purples.  The atmosphere was so serene, Adam couldn't help but feel content and at ease.  He supposed that that was why Britney looked to feel that way, too.

"It's beautiful," Britney commented after a brief silence.

"Yeah, it is," Adam agreed.  _And so are you.  _Watching her gaze contentedly at the ocean view gave Adam an idea.  If was going to go through with this whole thing, why not make the setting as romantic as possible?

"Hey, you wanna go take a walk?" he asked suddenly, pointing out to the beach.

"Why?" she asked, laughing.

"Cause I love the beach at night, and from what I can see, you do too.  I wanna go down there for a walk, and I don't wanna go alone, and since you're my favorite person in the whole world, I was hoping you'd join me," he said with a charming smile.

After hesitating for a moment, causing Adam's heart to skip a beat, she grinned and replied, "Sure, lets go.  After all, I wouldn't want you to have to go alone, you big baby."  Grinning widely, he stood and opened the door for her, leading her in so she could grab a pair of shoes and they could head out.

ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER Brock sat on his hotel room balcony, staring at the now starlit sky. "Hey man," a rough voice called, and Brock turned to see an immense shadow in the door. "Hey," Brock said, turning his gaze back to the ocean. "Hey Brock," another voice called. "Hey Paul," Brock said without looking back.  It wasn't hard to mistake Paul Heyman's voice for anyone else.  Brock and Paul watched the other man pull of pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and light one up.  After watching him take one long drag, Brock yanked the cigarette out of his hand, tossing it over the ledge. "Not healthy," he scolded.  Those things really were disgusting.  "You'd think a guy with such wrestling talent would know better than to pick that shit up." "Hey kid, healthy or not, I'll do as I damn well please.  If Vinny Mac has a problem with that, he can come see me," the man answered gruffly, though he put the pack and lighter away.  Out of nowhere, a radio began to play. "What the hell is that?" Heyman asked looking around. Brock sighed, standing up.  "Shit… it's my alarm, I think I set it for 9:00 P.M. instead of A.M.  Hold up, I'll be right back."  As Brock went inside, Paul and the third man caught a glimpse of something. "Well look what we have here," Paul mumbled. "Yo Brock!" the other man called.  "Come here!  It looks like a pretty blonde Canadian and a diva are headed for the beach." "It's probably Jay and Stephanie.  Lord knows that slut will take her clothes off virtually anywhere," Brock called from the inside. "Don't I know it," the man mumbled under his breath before continuing.  "I don't think so.  The chick's a blonde." "Well, maybe it's Jericho. His wife's here with him isn't she?" Brock called again. The huge man on the balcony laughed, "Too tall to be Jerky.  Don't get too upset, pal, but I think it's your pal Copeland." As Brock emerged in the door, he answered, "Oh big fucking deal.  So Adam Copeland's finally got a chick, how wonderful for… hey, that's Britney!"  Lesnar glared angrily at the two people walking up the wooden boardwalk that led to the beach.  "What the fuck does he think he's doing?" Brock cried as he watched Adam casually wrap his arm around Britney's shoulder. "I'd say he's going off to score on the beach," Heyman piped up from the background. "Shut up Paul!" Brock yelled, suddenly glad they were too high up for Adam and Britney to hear him in the silent night.  "I thought you said they were having problems!" Lesnar exclaimed, lowering his voice slightly. Paul put his hands up in protest, "They were, but with all due respect Brock, that was over a month ago.  Things between them could have changed."  Brock rubbed his eyes, sighing with frustration. "You," he said, pointing at the muscular man.  "Follow them or something.  Figure out what's going on between them and tell me tomorrow morning. This is what I'm paying you for… go!" he demanded, and the man got up, showing himself out.  "Damn it!" Brock cursed as he turned once more to see Adam Copeland's figure disappearing with HIS woman.  "I'll get him, Paul," he said as he watched the two figures disappear in the darkness. ON THE BEACH 

Adam breathed deeply, taking in the crisp night air as he watched Britney, who was a pace or two ahead of him.  He was surprised that, even with his legs being at least six inches longer than hers, she managed to stay ahead of him as they casually strolled down the sandy beach.  They remained silent for the most part, but this wasn't one of those weird silences they'd been having recently.  This silence was a comfortable one, one shared by people who were really connected, causing their own silent communication.  After a few moments, Britney stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Can we sit down for awhile?" she asked.

Nodding, the Canadian replied, "Sure."

Britney watched as he sat in the sand, patting the sand next to him, gesturing for her to sit down.   Slowly leaning down, placing the sandals she was carrying with her on the ground, she sat between his legs, pressing her back up against his chest.

"Are you okay?" Adam asked, suddenly wondering why she had asked to stop.

"Yeah… I am," she breathed, smiling serenely as she gazed out into the ocean.  They sat for a while, enjoying the feeling of being so close.  "It's really beautiful, isn't it?" the tiny blond commented as she felt Adam's hand lazily run through her hair.  Adam sighed, pulling her closer and resting his chin atop her head.

"Yeah, it really is.  It's so… peaceful," he said.  Though the scenery was incredibly calming, Adam could feel his heart starting to pound a mile a minute.  _Do it, do it, do it, do it-_ the voices in his head chanted.

"Brit, I have to tell you something," he started slowly.  "I-I've kind of been waiting for awhile to tell you, and I just can't hide it anymore."  Pushing his arm off of her, Britney sat back and turned around.

"Oh… okay.  What is it?" she asked, not sure where he was going with this.

"I-I… I," Adam mumbled, trying his damn hardest to form a sentence, though it wasn't really working too well.  _Come on Adam, just say it.  You've gotten yourself this far, you can't wus out now.  _Swallowing and clearing his throat, he tried again, "I… what I'm trying to say is… shit.  Let's try this one more time.  Well, over the past few years, you and I have really gotten to know each other.  Like I always tell you, you're one of my best friends and I'm so grateful to have you.  But lately, I haven't exactly seen you as a friend… well, JUST a friend anyway.  What I mean is that… maybe I see you as, well… maybe I see you as MORE than a friend."

Britney's eyes widened at him.  There was no way in hell he could be serious.  "W-what do you mean?" she asked, her heart rate kicking up a notch as well.

"What I mean is, at first, I thought I wanted to room with you because I wanted to protect a very good friend.  But now I realize that I wanted to room with you because I wanted to BE with you.  I haven't been able to seriously see myself with someone for the longest time, but then you came along.  Now, I… I honestly can't see myself with anyone else but you," he confessed truthfully.

After his statement he heaved a huge sigh… a HUGE weight had been lifted from his shoulders.  Britney, on the other hand, felt as though the weight had been dropped right her chest.  She knew she should have been happy.  Hell, she should have been doing cartwheels in the sand, but she wasn't.  All she could think of was how a relationship between the two of them was bound to fail, probably miserably.  If she were to tell him she felt the same way and they got together, eventually she'd have to reveal everything about her, including her not-so-attractive past.  When he found out all the things she did and everything that happened to her, he'd change his mind about his feelings for sure.  She was just too much work to be involved with for him, and he didn't deserve it.  As her mind worked in overdrive, Adam desperately tried to make out an expression on her face.  What was she thinking?  He didn't like that she was remaining so silent.

"Please say SOMETHING," he pleaded nervously.

Britney cast her blue eyes down to the sand before answering, "I--- I can't Adam.  I'm flattered you feel that way, but you and I would never work.  There's so much about me that you don't know."

"You'd be surprised how much I know," he said honestly.  He knew deep down inside she wanted to be with him, too.  As Shane told him, which he believed with all his heart, she was just so scared of him finding out and abandoning her.  He had to prove to her that, regardless of her past, he didn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon.  "Britney, I know more than you realize.  I know you aren't proud of your past, but your past doesn't change how I feel!  Believe me, I know, and I still…"

"You do NOT know, Adam!  As much as you can sit there and pretend, you just don't know!" she yelled.  Boy, she wasn't giving up without a fight.

Adam shook his head, "Britney…"

"NO! Can't you see I'm doing this for your own good!  I don't want you to get too involved with me, because eventually you'll want to leave, and I honestly couldn't handle losing you," she said, tears beginning to fill her eyes.  _Fuck, this definitely wasn't how I'd planned for this to go, _he thought silently.

Gently touching her arm, he said, "But I already know everything…"

"FUCK YOU!  You do not know ANYTHING!" she screamed, jumping up and booking.  Once what was happening registered in Adam's brain, he jumped up after her.

"Shit. Brit, wait!"  He chased after her, catching up quickly.  He grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around to face him.

"Let go… get away from me," she demanded, clenching her teeth.  Adam refused, and when she struggled, he tightened his grip.  "Let me go damn it!" she screamed, balling her free hand into a fist and punching him in the chest.  Adam couldn't help but yell in pain for a moment… she really was a tough little bitch when she wanted to be.  Even still, she was no match for him physically, and he quickly re-tightened the grip he had on her arm.

"NO!  You listen to ME for once, okay?" Adam yelled, causing her eyes to widen.  He didn't really want to yell at her, but at this point it seemed to be the only way to gain her full attention.  "I know EVERYTHING," he said slowly.  "I know about your mom's overdose.  I know your dad got shot.  I know you drank and I know you did drugs.  I also know that Brock helped you stop, before he forced you to have sex with him and led you into a relationship that has obviously scarred you for life."

Britney's eyes were the size of golf balls by now.  He knew.  She'd be damned if she knew how he found out, but he knew.  Sucker-punched was not a strong enough term to describe how she felt.  She was absolutely floored.

"H-how do you know all that?" she asked nervously.

"Don't get mad, but, uh… Shane, he told me," Adam said softly, not wanting to upset her, though he knew she'd most likely be pissed to find out that her cousin was the source of his information.  _Of course, _Britney thought.  _Leave it to Shane to fuck everything up._  _Adam probably knows every detail of my wonderful adolescence._

"What?  Why the fuck did he do that?  That, that bastard!" she muttered almost angrily.

"Brit, don't get mad.  I… I asked him to tell me.  I just wanted to know more about you, that's all.  He knew how I felt about you, and he was just trying to help," the tall man assured her.

Slowly beginning to walk away again, she responded, "Well, what a help he's been.  I can't believe he'd just tell you everything!  I mean, he knew it would drive a wedge between us, didn't he?  He knows how much I like you, and honestly, you don't look like the kind of guy who goes for a girl with a past like mine.  I just don't think I could handle falling in love with someone and getting abandoned again."

Adam stopped her once more, staring at her in disbelief.  "Are you crazy?  Don't you see what's going on?  I KNOW everything, all you've been through, and it doesn't change how I feel about you!  I still want to be with you, and I can't picture myself with anyone else," he said, in an almost begging tone.

"I… I just don't understand how you could want to be with me.  I'm not the girl you fall for.  I'm the one who you can room with, watch Sports Center and have a few heart to hearts with.  I'm just one of the guys… you couldn't fall for me.  It's… it's what I am," she said sadly, ducking her head.  Adam reached up and cupped her chin in his hand, tilting it up so he could look into her soft, teary blue eyes.

"What you ARE is the most beautiful woman I've ever met.  You're also, regardless of what you may think, one of the strongest people I've ever known.  As far as I'm concerned, the dark period of your life is officially over.  I understand that you're scared, but I also know that you feel somewhat the same towards me.  I love you, and if you just give me a chance, I…"

"What?" she cut in.  She could have sworn that she had heard THE words just come out of his mouth.  Soft smile forming on his face, he pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her.

"I… I love you, Britney," he said slowly.  Boy, did that ever feel good.  He felt even better when he saw a small grin playing on her lips.  His heart dropped as the smile turned into a tiny but noticeable frown.

"Oh.  I… I'm sorry.  You're right, I do feel the same, but… I just can't say it.  I want you to understand that I really do care about you, and I do, but… I just can't say that.  I've easily given those three words away before and, well, look what happened.  I… I want to make something of this Adam, I really do.  I need you accept that one day I WILL say it, and one day I will give myself to you completely, but I just can't right now.  I-I hope you still want to-"  Her words were cut off when he put a finger on her lips, silencing her.

_This is it, Copeland.  You've been waiting so long to do this, lets hope you haven't forgotten how.  DON'T mess up… for Christ's sake, don't mess up.  Oh God, please don't let the past year of only being with like one girl totally screw up my kissing ability.  _Shaking his head slightly, he shook all the thoughts out of his head.  If he thought about for too long, he'd never actually do it.  He slowly lowered his face to hers, capturing her lips with his.  When she didn't protest, he gently slid his tongue over her lower lip, and she opened her mouth in response.  The lost and dream-like sigh she elicited sounded an awful lot like he felt at the moment.  They had finally had their first kiss, and it was everything he'd ever hoped it would be.  Their kiss ended all too soon, but the huge grin Britney was sending him made stopping totally worthwhile.  Suddenly, Britney sat, taking Adam by surprise as she pulled him down with her.  Sitting up in his lap, she wrapped her arms around him, snuggling against his shoulder.  Now THIS was something he could get used to.

"Thank you… for everything," she said quietly, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his collar.

Smiling, Adam replied, "I feel like I should be thanking you, but you're welcome."

They sat in silence for a moment, watching the waves crash up along the shore.  As a slight breeze blew around them, Adam wrapped his arms more tightly around her, shielding her from the wind.

"You know," he started, "the ocean kinda reminds me of you."

Not moving her head from where it was currently resting, she questioned, "How do you figure?"

Laughing slightly, he replied, "You're going to think I'm the biggest dork in the world."

"Oh, but I already do… so tell me anyway," she said giggling.

Running his hand under the back bottom hem of her shirt, the tall blonde answered, "Oh, alright.  See, there are a few occasions where the ocean gets a little rough… and you know you've had your rough times.  But in the end, it always seems to calm down and become really peaceful, and… I know I've said this a million times, but… it becomes so beautiful… like you.  I, oh, man… I'm such a nerd."  Laughing, she lifted her head up to look into his emerald green eyes.

"Yeah, but you're a cute nerd.  And you're my nerd," she said, bringing her lips to his and stealing a kiss.

"I think I can live with being a nerd if I get to be your nerd forever," he said chuckling.  She rested her head back on his shoulder, and Adam sighed contentedly at how wonderful things had turned out after all.

"Adam?" Britney asked.  "Does this mean I can call Steph and tell her that she can't make fun of me for not having a boyfriend cause I have one now?"  _Seeing as how Jay probably already TOLD her, I wouldn't be surprised if Steph was the one who called YOU._

Grinning widely, he answered, "Oh, I'd definitely have to say yes."

TBC

***I was gonna wait a little while before I made Adam and Britney get together, but I was sick of the sad endings to the chapters!  Besides, I think everyone else wanted to see it to.  So, what do you think?

  
Also, thanks again to the people who have sent reviews.  I get all excited when I get them, so please keep sendin them!!!


	16. Part 15

PART 15

****

THE NEXT DAY 

    Britney walked down the hallway of the arena with Amy and Stephanie, telling them the story of what happened with Adam the night before.  

"And he just cut you off mid-sentence and kissed you?" Amy asked excitedly.  

"Uh-huh!" Britney sighed happily.  "Ooh, I always knew that boy was a romantic!" the redhead squealed.  

Stephanie nodded, "And it's about damn time too!"  The three friends continued to walk aimlessly down the hall.  

"Britney and Adam sittin' in a tree," Amy started, giggling.  

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Stephanie finished in an amused tone.  The three of them burst out laughing.  

"Oh man, you guys sure are immature!" Britney said sarcastically, though she couldn't help laughing in between.  

"This coming from the girl who called Matt "Matty-pie" for nearly three weeks after we started dating," Amy reminded her.  

"And," Stephanie added, "You also called Jay 'Schmoopie' for a few weeks as well."  

Laughing, Britney agreed, "I know, I know.  I just couldn't help myself.  Suddenly, a ringing cell phone caught their attention.  

"Oh, that's me," Britney said, pulling her phone out, looking down at the screen.  "It's Shane.  I have to go take this, I'll see you guys later!"  

The high-flying diva and the Smackdown GM nodded as they waved goodbye.  "I'm so glad they finally got together," Stephanie spoke as she watched Britney disappear around the corner.  

Amy nodded, "Yeah, I don't know how much longer I could have sat around and watched them be 'just friends.'  It was making me want to puke.  It's about damn time he finally cracked!"  

Stephanie couldn't help but smile and think of Jay and Matt as well.  "Yup… it looks like the three of us finally have someone."  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------        

    Britney rounded a corner, preparing to answer Shane's call.  As she turned the corner, she smacked right into Paul Levesque.  

"Hey," he said roughly.  Walking past him, shuddering instinctively, she flipped open her phone.  

"Hey Shane!" she said cheerily, shaking off her little "encounter" with Paul.  

"Hey baby girl!" her older cousin called from the other line.  "What's up?" she asked, stopping and leaning up against the wall.  

"Big night yesterday, huh?" he asked playfully.  Britney sighed… how in hell did he do that?  No matter how far apart they were, he always knew what was going on with her.  

"Let me guess, your 'sources' informed you of this information?" she asked laughing.  

Laughing as well, Shane replied, "Actually, I learned from the man himself.  He called this morning and told me.  He said he wanted me to hear it from him first… BEFORE my 'sources' told me anything."  

"Oh… he's a smart man, isn't he?" the young blonde commented on her new boyfriend.  

"Yes, he is.  Judging by his taste in women… I'd say he's definitely clever.  So, I take it you're happy?" Shane asked rhetorically.  

"Yeah, I really am.  For the first time I awhile… I really am," Britney answered, smiling and waving as Kurt and Mark walked by.  Her smile grew wider as she saw Kurt turn back, winking at her and mouthing, "Congratulations."  She shook her head, turning her attention back to Shane as he spoke.  

"Hey, you don't know how happy I am to hear that.  Take my advice, Brit, and stick with Adam… he's a good guy."  

"Oh, I plan on it," she told him truthfully.  

The boss's son sighed, "Alright, I have to get back to work now.  I just wanted to call and tell you that I'm so happy for you.  Be careful… and be good."  

"Yes dad.  Seriously Shane, thanks.  I'll talk to you later," Britney said.  

"Bye kid, I love you," he said, and then hung up.  Britney leaned back and sighed at how casually her big cousin threw out the term "I love you."  If only she could say that to Adam.  _It'll take time, but it'll happen… and it will be totally worth it._

LOCKERROOM 

    Brock sat outside the locker room, resting his head on the wall.  

"Yo," a gruff voice called to him, catching his attention.  The man sighed as Brock pulled him into a storage closet for "privacy measures."  

"Hey man," Brock said, "what did you find out?"  

"Well man, it's confirmed.  Adam Copeland and Britney McMahon are officially a couple," he told him.  

"Shit!" Brock exclaimed.  He'd dreaded this moment coming since the day he joined the company and Paul Heyman had told him about the two of them.  

"Man… goddamn it!  What the fuck happened?!" Lesnar demanded, face reddening with anger.  "Well, I… I'm not sure," the other man said warily.  

"WELL WHAT… what do you mean?" Brock asked, catching himself and lowering his voice.  The other man sighed, this kid really was such a brat.  Still, he was working for him, so he really had no choice but to go along with the little bastard.  

"Well, I didn't want to actually go ON the beach… I thought they might see me…"

'I can't believe I'm sitting in a dark stairwell and midnight on a fucking lookout,' _the man thought as he kicked a small rock across the floor.  He was amazed that he was still doing favors for that damn kid.  But hey, Brock was paying him… and in the end, this would all work for his benefit.  But the way this whole scheme was going, it could take years before they even did anything.  Suddenly, he heard the lobby door open and laughter emerged.  The muscular man jumped, trying to scramble for a hiding place.  He knew Britney and Adam would take the stairs, as their room was only on the fourth floor of the twelve-story hotel.  As big as he was, it was nearly impossible for him to find a spot to hide in.  Finally, he managed to get behind some luggage carts and boxes and was extremely difficult to notice in the dim-lighted area.  Sure enough, when the doors opened, in walked Adam and Britney, hand in hand.  The man rolled his eyes as Adam stopped Britney, cupping her face in his hands and looking intensely into her deep blue eyes.  Warm smiles crossed their faces as they pulled each other closer.  The whole lovey dovey scene was making the man crouched in the corner feel sick to his stomach.  He thought for sure he was losing his lunch and dinner and they gently, slowly, and deeply kissed.  Rolling his eyes again, he rested back, closing his eyes.  Guess I can tell Brock that they're together.  After they disappeared up the stairs, the man shifted out of the uncomfortable position._

"And?" Brock asked in a demanding tone.  

The man snickered ruefully, "AND… he probably took her up to their room and spent the rest of the night awake!"  Brock obviously did not see the humor in the situation.  

"Well than why the hell didn't you follow them?!" he cried angrily.  His friend shook his head. 

"For what?!  So I could LISTEN to him fuck her?  Oh, hell no.  Listen kid, I got into this for a reason… and so far, we have done NOTHING but baby-sit Adam and your stupid ex-bitch!  I agreed to help you because you TOLD me we'd go after Jay and Stephanie too.  The ONLY reason I'm doing this is to get my hands on that bitch and her pretty little boyfriend for what they did to me!  You know, I really don't NEED the money you're paying me, Brock.  Maybe I should just stop helping you!"  

"Alright, alright!  We'll really kick everything into gear now.  We have to," Brock said, putting his hands up in retreat.  

"Good."  

With that said, Paul Levesque stood and exited the room. 

-------------------------------------------------

This was a short little part.  Okay, there wasn't really much mystery to that.  Oh well, it adds a little fun to the plot I guess.    Let me know what you think!


	17. Part 16

PART 16

2 WEEKS LATER

Britney knocked on the door to the locker room some of the guys were sharing.  Jay had called her earlier, saying he needed to speak with her about something in person.  Chris opened the door, ushering her in.

"Hey kid," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.  "How are you?"

"Fine, 'kid'," she said smiling.

Ever since her whole "incident," Chris just hadn't teased her as much.  He became really careful about what he said, and was just altogether really… nice.  Although she thought it was cute that he was so cautious around her, she couldn't help but miss his old light-hearted nature.  As stupid as she thought it sounded, she liked being teased by the Canadian.

"Chris, lighten up.  I'm fine… I've told you a million times over, I'm okay.  Really," she told him.

Chris smiled sheepishly, "Sorry Brit.  I guess I just can't help thinking about it when I see you… you know.  I can't help but worry, you scared the shit out of me that day.  But you're right, you ARE okay, so I guess I'll just have to lighten up."

Britney nodded, saying hi to Matt, Jeff, Rob, Amy, and Shane Helms as she walked in and sat down.

"I guess they should switch the sign on the door to Men's locker room----- and Amy and Britney," Rob joked, patting Britney on the shoulder as she sat next to him.

The two divas laughed.  It was true… they were pretty much a fixture in the guys' locker room.

Amy laughed, "You'd think you would be happy about that, Robbie."  RVD nodded, "Oh I am, I just happen to think that you should change in here too, that's all… ouch, hey!"  He rubbed the back of his head where Britney had smacked him upon his comment.

"So guys, where's Jay?  He said he wanted to talk to me," the blonde McMahon asked.

"He's in the shower, he should be out in a minute or two," Matt answered as he laced up his boot.

"Unless you wanted to go in after him," Shane said jokingly, playful glint in his eye.  Jeff laughed at the look Britney sent Shane,

"Uh, wrong Canadian!"  Chris finished tying his boots and walked over to the group, sitting down.

"Speaking of Canadians, where's loverboy?" he asked, that playful gleam finally returning to his eyes.

"I'm not sure… he's here though," Britney answered, unable to keep the smile off her face at the thought of Adam.  Chris shook his head, laughing softly as he reached back to pull his hair up.

"Hey Brit," Jay's voice called as he emerged from the showers.

"Hey, what did you want to tell me?" she asked grinning.

"Why don't you wait outside, and I'll get dressed and meet you out there," he suggested, pulling his wet hair back into a ponytail.

Britney pouted playfully, "You mean I can't watch?"

"You really wouldn't be missing much," Rob chimed in his usual mellow demeanor.

"Very funny.  I personally find it very creepy that you know such information, don't you?" Jay replied, smiling.  "As for you, Ms. McMahon, you'd better let me dress in peace or I'll be forced to tell your boyfriend that you were staring at my body, even though mine IS 100 times sexier than his."

"Sure, Jay… keep dreaming," Amy said, laughing loudly.  The Canadian turned to face the redhead.

"You know what?  You two are just so mean!  You get out too, I'll find someone else who appreciates my amazing figure!" he said, pretending to be hurt.  As Britney stood, Amy rose behind her.  After saying goodbye, the two divas headed out the door.  As they exited, Amy stopped and turned.

"By the way Jason, I'm not leaving because you told me to.  I'm leaving to save you from embarrassment for when you drop that towel and I crack up at the sight of your little 'general'!" she said, running out the door before he could reply.

Outside the door, Amy said goodbye to her best friend.  "Hey, I got some stuff to do for the show, I'll catch you later."

"Alright, I'll see you in a little," Britney replied, watching the redhead disappear down the hall.  Moments later, Jay emerged from the locker room, now fully dressed.  Britney noticed that in the Canadian's hand was a tiny box----- a jewelry box.

"Aw, Mr. Reso, I'm flattered, but honestly, you don't have to bribe me with jewels to be your friend.  I'm sure I like you anyway," she said jokingly.

"We're quite the comedian today, aren't we Ms. McMahon?  Seriously though, the box is why I asked to see you.  I need your opinion," he told her honestly.  When she nodded, he continued, "See, today is me and Steph's five month mark, so I got this.  I'd ask Adam what he thought, but I figured you've got two things over him… one being that you're a woman and the other being that you're related to Stephanie.  Anyway, what do you think of this?"  He opened the box, revealing a beautiful gold bracelet with diamond studs.

"Wow," Britney breathed, marveling at the beautiful jewelry, which must have cost Jay a fortune.  Jay didn't know what to make of her reaction, so he questioned her.

"Well?  What do you think?  Is it too much?  Should I have gotten something better?  Will she like it?  Cause if you think she won't, tell me and I'll…"

"Dude, calm down!  It's beautiful, and Stephanie will LOVE it.  Trust me, she loves diamonds and gold, so I'd say you did well," she assured him.

"You think so?" Jay asked.  "Because I want to show her that I really love her…"

Britney put a hand to the Canadian's mouth, silencing him.  She looked at him, smiling replied, "I know so."

LATE THAT NIGHT 

Britney and Adam lie in bed, relaxing and watching TV after the show that night.  They had rented the movie Seven after Adam almost had a heart attack when Britney revealed that she had never seen it.  Although she didn't really like horror or suspense movies, she was already jumpy enough as it was, she put a brave face on for him.  She just made sure to cling really tightly to him during the more "thrilling" scenes.  He certainly didn't seem to mind, only pulling her closer when she buried her face in his shoulder.  After the movie had ended, Adam switched the TV off and pulled Britney to him.

"So did you see what Jay got Stephanie?" she asked as Adam kissed her cheek and his fingers lazily grazed her arm.

"Yeah, it was… nice," he said nonchalantly as he moved even closer than he was before.

"Nice?  Did you see that thing?" she asked, shocked at his reaction.

"Well, yeah.  It was really beautiful and probably cost him a hell of a lot of money, too.  Diamonds are nice.  It's just if it was me, I'd have more than just a diamond bracelet in mind," he said in a hushed tone, nuzzling her neck.

"Oh, and what would that be?" she asked grinning.

"Hmm… I can't tell you, cause then it wouldn't be a surprise if I gave it to you.  I'll have to out do Jay on our five month anniversary, you know," he said, planting tiny little kisses along her neck and jaw line.

Britney laughed, "Oh, but I think Jay will still 'give it' to Stephanie anyway."  "Oh shut up," Adam said as he moved over, hovering over top of her and pulling her in for a kiss.

She sighed against him as the kiss slowly deepened.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, her mind flooded with memories, specifically ones with Brock.  She closed her eyes tightly as she felt Adam's hands begin to roam, praying that when she opened them, it would still be Adam who was with her.  As their kiss continued, Britney did her best to ignore the flashback.  She just couldn't shake the image of Brock pinning her down and using all his strength to keep her there while he had his way with her.  When she felt Adam pressing his body against hers, she realized that she couldn't do it.  Adam backed off when he felt two tiny hands pressing against his chest.  At first he hadn't even noticed it, as he was too caught up in what was happening, but when she pushed more forcefully, he stopped what he was doing.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concerned as she pushed him off of her.  Shaking her head, she slid out and sat up, resting her back against the headboard.

"I-I can't…  I can't do this Adam.  I'm really sorry.  I… I don't know what's wrong with me," she said shamefully.  Adam reached out to touch her arm, worried when he noticed her flinch slightly.

"Hey, it's okay.  I'll stop baby… it's okay," he told her.  She still wouldn't look at him.

He started again, "I don't want you to feel like you have to rush into anything you're not ready for."  She glanced down at him, sending him a look he could only read as confusion.  It was like she expected him to angry with her.

"Are you… are you sure you're okay?  I didn't mean to scare you," the tall Canadian told her sympathetically.

Britney shook her head, "No, no… it's nothing you did.  I just… I, uh… I just had a really weird flashback," she admitted.  She decided that she might as well just tell him straight out what had made her want to stop.

"Of what?  Of you and Brock?" he asked.  He couldn't imagine anyone else that could have possibly interrupted her thoughts in a moment like that… the stupid bastard.

"Yeah… I'm really sorry Adam.  I WANT to feel comfortable with you. It's just harder that I thought it would be.  I don't want you to think it's anything you did, though, because you've honestly been the best thing to happen to me in, well… ever," she told him honestly.  Adam couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride after hearing that.  She really did care, and he really did mean a lot to her.  It was definitely a good feeling.  He sat up, leaning against the headboard as well, wrapping his arm around her as she continued.  "But if you ever decide you want to leave… please don't do it because of this.  It might take me some time, but eventually I WILL be ready, and I really want you to be the one I'm with when I am.  I won't ask much from you, I swear, but please, just don't leave.  Wait for me," she begged.  Adam couldn't believe how pleading her tone was.  _Like I would ever leave someone I've waited forever to get.  _The thought was absolutely absurd.

"Honey, I just got you.  What makes you think I'd want to lose you?  Like it or not, you're stuck with me for a while," he told her smiling.  Sighing, she rested her head on his bare shoulder as his arm slid down around her waist.

"So you'll wait," she said, closing her eyes contentedly.

Adam grinned, "Forever and a day."

AROUND 3 A.M.

Adam and Britney were sleeping peacefully as a gentle breeze silently flowed through an open window.  All of a sudden, there was a loud knock at the door.  Adam, who had always been a light sleeper, jumped at the thumping noise.  "What the hell?" he called, opening his eyes to the dark room.  He looked over at the clock on the nightstand by the bed.  _Three in the morning… oh boy, this better be REAL good.  _The Canadian looked down at Britney, who was still deeply asleep in his arms.  She seemed to be the opposite of him in this case.  She must not of heard the knocking at all.  He debated not even getting up to answer the door at all, but the knocking only got louder and more desperate sounding.  Adam groaned, but reminded himself that a few months back it was Britney who went to him in the middle of the night, and she had just gotten a severe ass kicking.  _No one would bang on my door at three in the morning unless it was something really important, _he told himself.  Sighing, he reluctantly unhooked his arm from around Britney and stood up.  Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he headed to the door, leaving his sleeping girlfriend alone in the bedroom.

"Hold on, I'm coming," he called, yawning as he made his way to the door.  He reached the door, unlocked it and pulled it open.

"Oh my God… Steph, what happened?" Adam asked as his mouth dropped open.  The brunette had tears running down her cheeks, and when Adam gaze dropped lower, he saw blood dripping off her hand.

Stephanie tried to answer, "I… I-I… oh God, Adam, I-"

"Never mind that, just get in here," the blonde man cut her off, leading her into the room.  He took her over to the couch, pulling her down next to him.  He grabbed her wrist and pulled it towards him.  It was almost completely covered in blood, so Adam had no clue as to where the cut or cuts were.  He stared at her momentarily, and then pulled her into his arms.  He thought deeply about what could have possibly happened to her.  He doubted with all his heart and mind that Jay could ever do something like that to her.  But then again, the world, especially the WWE world, was a fucked up place.  And if it was true that Jay did it, well, Adam didn't know what he would do.  Sure, Jay was his best friend, but Stephanie was his friend too, not to mention his girlfriend's cousin.  He would kill him.

"Steph, honey, what happened?  And who did this to you?  Was it Jay?  If it was, Steph, tell me and I swear I'll kick the shit out of him.  I'll kill him… I'll-"

"It wasn't Jay.  It… it wasn't anybody.  Adam, I… I did this to myself," Stephanie interrupted, lowering her head shamefully.  Adam's eyes widened----- she did it to herself?  He wasn't sure of how to handle it, or if he even could handle it.

"Jesus, Stephanie… why?  Why the hell would you do that?" he asked, his tone coming out a little harsher than he would have liked.  She pushed away from him, fresh tears filling her eyes as she stared at him helplessly.

She hesitated, and then responded, "I… I didn't mean to.  I was just so fucking mad, Adam.  Jay and I had this huge fight, a really stupid one… and he just pissed me off so much that I just… I punched out a mirror.  He threw me out… he told me I had to leave cause he didn't want to see me.  I just got so pissed… I couldn't help it, I was just so angry."  Adam shook his head solemnly.  _Damn, these McMahon girls sure know how to get emotional. _The Canadian cursed himself immediately for his thoughts.  '_Of course they're emotional dipshit, think of all they've been through.  _ He thought long and hard, trying to find the right words to say before speaking.

"Okay… how about this?  I'll clean up your hand and bandage it and everything.  Then I'll go wake Brit so she can come talk to you while I go hunt down Jay and we can find out what the hell happened," he offered sincerely.

Stephanie slowly nodded, "A-alright, thank you."  About fifteen minutes later, Adam had cleaned up the Smackdown boss's wound and made his way out the door, leaving Britney and Stephanie on the couch.  After she watched the door close behind her boyfriend, she turned to face her cousin.  Britney noticed that she was not wearing the bracelet that Jay had shown her earlier in the day.

"So," she started, "what did you and Jay fight about?"

Stephanie sighed, "It was insane.  You won't believe it, but here goes.  We were having our little anniversary thing, and it was going really well… until Jay opened my gift.  I should have known.  The wrapping… it… wasn't right.  I should have known it had been screwed with."

"What do you mean?" Britney asked curiously.  Stephanie sighed again, running her uninjured hand through her hair.

"Someone, I'm pretty positive I know who, screwed with my gift.  When Jay saw it, he thought it was some kind of cruel joke I was playing on him.  He's so defensive and paranoid… I think he thought I'd actually been planning it for our whole relationship.  He got really mad and just flipped.  He wouldn't stop screaming, saying how he thought I was different and he was so wrong about me.  He just would NOT shut up… and you know how I get.  I got really defensive and started yelling right back at him.  I couldn't believe he ACTUALLY thought I would do something like that to him.  I guess I do kind of understand now, though.  But anyway, we had a shouting match, and he told me I should find somewhere else to stay tonight… so I punched the nearest object.  Just so happens that the nearest object was a mirror," she explained.  Her crying had since ceased, but a few tears still glistened in her eyes.  The blonde McMahon eyed her cousin for a moment.

"That's all believable to me Steph.  Trust me, nothing that happens to either of us surprises me anymore.  I guess after all we've been through, it shouldn't.  Anyway, you said it was crazy… what's so crazy about it?  What was in the gift?" she asked curiously.

She would have asked who Stephanie thought placed it there as well, but Britney figured she could guess by what it was.  Things like this were usually very symbolic.  Stephanie laughed ruefully.  She swallowed hard, eyeing her cousin intently before answering.

"Inside the gift was a picture of me and Paul… one that had the words 'NEVER FORGET' written on it."

TBC

You could see my pathetic attempt to inject humor into the story somewhere.  Hopefully someone enjoyed it.  LOL, I just didn't want the WHOLE story to be so serious and gloomy.  Anyway, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!


	18. Part 17

PART 17

****

THE NEXT DAY

Adam slowly made his way down the arena hallway.  There was house show at 6:30 at he couldn't wait for it to be over.  He hadn't exactly gotten a full night's sleep the previous night.  In fact, he hadn't slept at all since Stephanie came pounding on the door.  He was finding it extremely difficult to keep his eyes open at the moment.  He had tried to figure out what happened when he talked to Jay, but that had gotten him nowhere.  His best friend had been down right cold, forcing Adam to leave at 6 A.M. frustrated, exhausted, and very pissed off.

"Hey man, what's wrong with you?"

Adam glanced over---and down---to see Rey Mysterio standing next to him.

"Hey Rey-Rey.  Long night," Adam replied as he shook hands with Mysterio, who was scheduled to be his tag team partner for the show.

"You okay?" Rey asked as they made their way down the hall.  Sighing, Adam raked a hand through his long hair.

"Oh, lets see… Britney had some kind of flashback involving Brock, Stephanie came knocking on my door at 3 in the morning with a bloody hand after she got in a major fight with Jay, and I left my room to talk to him only to get kicked out at 6 with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of what happened," he said, seemingly in one breath.

"Damn… I guess that explains why you look like shit.  I'm sorry man," the short man said sympathetically.

"It's alright, I'm just wiped out.  I'll live," Adam assured his friend tiredly.  The two men walked in silence, each man on the way to the locker rooms.

"So speaking of Britney, how are you two doing?  With the exception of last night I guess," Rey asked, suddenly remember what the Canadian had just said.

Adam grinned, "We're fine.  We're great actually.  She's amazing, Rey, she really is."

Rey smiled at his friend, "Yes, that she is.  She's really something else, that kid, I'll tell you that.  I'm really happy for you man."

"Thanks Rey.  It really makes these last few months worth it.  It's just so… great, and…" Adam trailed off and his grin faded.  Rey looked up to see what Adam was looking at---- Brock Lesnar… and he was headed in their direction.

"Adam, get out of here," Mysterio said quietly.  Adam shook his head.

"No, I'm fine right where I am," he said stubbornly.  Rey began to panic. Lord only knew what would happen if those two butted heads, especially after Britney's whole flashback.  It was only a fresh reminder of why Adam despised the man.  Turning his back on Brock's direction, Rey stared at Adam with pleading eyes.

"Adam please, go before you do something you'll regret.  Come on man, just…"

"You."

Rey cringed… he was a little late.  "What do you want?" Adam asked, pushing Rey out of the way and coming face to face with Brock.

"Let's just say you and I need to have a little chat, _Adam_," Lesnar quipped, glaring into Adam's eyes.  After a moment though, the Next Big Thing had to look away.  Not that Brock was afraid of the Canadian or anything, but he did have some intense eyes.

"Let me guess, _Brock_.  You've come to yell at me for 'stealing something that belongs to you' again, haven't you?" Adam said, cocky grin forming.  He was really beginning to find Brock amusing.

Brock smirked, "While that is a topic I'd love to 'chat' with you about, I'm actually here to discuss your friend Jay and his bitch, Stephanie."

Adam narrowed his eyes, "What the hell do you mean?"

"Well, I hear they had a 'problem' last night.  It's a shame, isn't it?  You think you know your girlfriend till she stabs you in the back.  I mean really, I always knew Stephanie was a rotten whore, but even I didn't think she was so cruel.  And to think she even pulled Paul into this whole mess… it's just a damn shame," Brock said, sly grin beginning to show.

Neither Adam nor Rey could believe what they where hearing.  No one except Adam, Britney, Stephanie, and Jay knew the details of the night before.  How the hell could he know?  _Unless he had something to do with it!  _Adam moved closer to the former NCAA champion.

"You bastard… you did this, didn't you?  You PLANTED the picture of Steph and Paul so Jay would see it!  You asshole," Adam said, clenching his teeth angrily.

"Hey, let's give credit where credit's due.  **I** didn't plant the picture anywhere.  See Adam, I like to assume the position of 'brains' of the plot.  I don't do dirty work.  I let Paul do his own grunt work… I just do a little of my own and help him along," Brock replied.  Adam backed off slightly, mouth dropping wide open.

"What?" he voiced quietly, noticing Rey take the opportunity to retreat, obviously no longer wanting to be involved.

That evil grin Brock was wearing grew, "You really thought I'd just LET you get away with taking my girl, didn't you?  And you thought that Jay could do the same to Paul?  You ACTUALLY thought that by going out with them, this whole thing would come to an end?  Wrong, pal.  It's just starting.  Whether or not you realize it, Adam, we've been watching the four of you very closely… waiting for the right time to strike.  By starting a relationship with Britney, you triggered the start of this whole scheme.  You and Reso are done, and there's NOTHING you can do to stop it… oh, and by the way, I DARE you to go to Vince about this.  Like he'd EVER believe you over me."  Adam was speechless.  He had this all planned out.  He had some huge, most likely brilliant scheme, to take Jay and him out, and there was nothing he could do about it.  All he could do was stand there, gaping at Lesnar as he glared triumphantly back at him.

"You… are sick," Adam said slowly, trying his best to steady his voice.

Brock simply shook his head, "Not sick, Adam.  I'm a genius.  I have it all planned out now, and you'll still never see ANY of it coming… but honestly, we don't need to talk about that now.  Let's talk about… Britney."  Adam grimaced, anger beginning to boil in his stomach.

"Leave her out of this Brock.  You want to come after me and Jay, that's fine.  Leave Steph and Britney out of it," he warned.

"Ah, but then where would the fun be?  It's really so amusing to see how you boys react to us messing with your women, especially you.  And really Adam, you make it seem as though Paul and I are ONLY after you.  It's all about them.  This whole thing is about reuniting Britney and I… and Stephanie and Paul.  Sooner or later, Britney will be mine yet again, only THIS time you WON'T be getting her back.  As much as it'll hurt you, you'll just have to accept that one day it'll be ME screwing Britney, not you.  Hell, according to what she envisioned last night, she still doesn't forget what it's like to be with the Next Big Thing…"

"How the fuck do you know about that?!" Adam cut in, completely taken aback yet again.  _How the hell does he know so much?  I can understand the whole Steph and Jay thing now, but he'd have to read Brit's mind to know about what happened last night!_

"Well, I was 'passing by' and I 'overheard' Britney talking to her big bad cousin Shane.  She told him, and consequently, me, the entire story," Brock answered.

Adam's eyes narrowed even more, "So you were STALKING her?!"

"Technically, yes.  But like I said, you don't have the balls to tell on me.  You know, it's nice to know that even after all this time, Britney STILL thinks about what I'm like in bed…"

"And whatever she remembered scared her shitless!  You are really disgusting Brock, you know that?  You are a rotten, sadistic, sick, disgusting little prick.  I'm warning you one last time to stay the fuck away from my girlfriend or else you will fucking pay," Adam threatened.  Brock laughed, looking down to check his watch.  It was perfect… Britney should be heading past them to the women's locker room.  Adam wasn't sure what Brock's expression was, but he was sure he didn't like it.

"Flattery won't work, I'm afraid," Lesnar said, laughing.  "Hit me," he demanded.  "Come on, Adam.  Hit me now… cause if you don't, I'll hit something else… your precious girlfriend.  And by 'hitting' I don't mean a punch, if you know I what I mean."  That did it.  Adam had been putting up with his shit for far too long, and he had had enough.  He lost it.

"Goddamn it!" he screamed, lunging at Brock, tackling him to the floor and pummeling him.

Brock was in disbelief… Adam hit him.  The bastard hit him… and it was hurting like a bitch, too.  This guy was ten times stronger than his friend Jay was.  The two men rolled around on the floor, neither man getting a clear upper hand.  They continued brawling even after they saw a small figure appear behind them.  Adam gave Brock one hard, swift punch in the jaw, knocking Lesnar flat on his back.  As Adam pinned Brock with his knees, he vaguely heard a voice calling, "Stop guys!  Knock it off!  Stop… stop it!"  He ignored it and continued nailing Brock with rights and lefts.  The Canadian felt a small hand on his shoulder, seemingly trying to pull him off of Brock.  Adam cringed… Rey.  He was a great guy, he really was, but he needed to stay out of this one.  He reached back to swat the hand away, finding it odd that Brock didn't take the opportunity to swing at him.  He didn't let it bother him for too long, as he went right back to punching him, earning a pained groan from Lesnar.  Then, he felt that damn hand again, pulling at his shoulder.  This time, Adam swung back hard, knocking who he thought was Rey off balance and crashing into the opposite wall of the narrow hallway.  "Ow!" a feminine voice cried out in pain as a loud thump against the wall was heard.  _Oh shit… that's not Rey._  Adam couldn't believe what he had just done… he hit a woman.  Brock took the opportunity to roughly shove Adam off of him.  The two men made eye contact, and Adam immediately knew something was wrong.  Brock was smiling.  Adam suddenly realized that Brock had been facing whichever diva it was the whole time.  He knew who was there… and with the look on his face…  _Oh, no._  Adam slowly turned, wincing as his fears were confirmed.  Sitting on the floor, staring at him with wide, tear-filled eyes as she held her neck was Britney.  Adam's mouth went dry.

"I, uh… oh god, Brit, I'm so sorry."

She didn't respond, quickly shifting her glance away from him.  He slowly moved closer to her, noticing that she was shaking as she hugged herself protectively.  _Damn it!  What the hell have I done?_

"I'm sorry.  I-I… I didn't mean it, honey, I swear," he said softly, reaching out to grab her hand.  She jerked away from his touch, shooting up and walking away quickly, not daring to look back.  "Shit… Britney, wait!" Adam called, standing up to go after her.

Clutching his now aching jaw, Brock sat up, grinning evilly.  "I told you I never lose."

10 MINUTES LATER 

Adam searched frantically for the Women's Locker Room, where he knew Britney was headed.  Oh god, he was SO stupid.  _I hit her, I hit her… _the mantra played over and over in his head.  Finally, he found the door, marching up and knocking.  Part of him wanted to fling the door open and just walk in, but Britney was probably already scared enough without him barging in and making a huge scene.  After a moment, the door opened, and Adam saw Trish and Stacy in the door.

"Please let me talk to Britney," he requested.

Trish frowned, "Honestly Adam, I'm not so sure she wants to see you right now."  Stacy nodded and placed her hands on her hips.  Adam looked in past the two blonde divas.  He could see Britney in there.  Amy was hugging her and Jacqueline was stroking her hair while Torrie, Terri, Nidia, Carly Moore, and Nora Greenwald stood back, watching sympathetically.  Christ, what had he done?!

"Please, Trish!  I NEED to see her," he begged, meeting the chocolate brown eyes of his fellow Canadian.

"I'm sorry Adam, but I can't do that," Trish replied.  She turned to close the door, but Adam stopped her, using his force to hold the door open.

"Let me in," he demanded.

"Adam, please, don't make a scene," Stacy begged.  The tall man threw an exhausted sigh.  His head was starting to hurt like hell from his fight with Brock only a few minutes earlier.

"Oh come one, get out of my way!" he yelled, catching the other divas' attention.  His eyes met a pair of hazel orbs, and he cried out.  "Amy, tell them to let me in, please!"  The redhead motioned for Trish and Stacy to come to her.

"Stay with her, please.  I'll go talk to him.  I'll be right back, Brit," she instructed, and the two blondes took her spot.  She made her way to Adam, crossing her arms under her chest as she stood in the doorway.

"Thanks Ames, I really need to talk to…"

"Out," she demanded, pushing him out the door, shutting it behind her.

"Amy, I…"

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" the redhead snapped angrily.

Adam answered, "It's not as bad as it sounds."

"Oh really?" she asked.  "All I've managed to get out of her so far is that you hit her."

Adam lowered his head shamefully, "I… I know.  It was a total accident though, I swear.  I didn't see her."

"How the hell did you NOT see her?  Were you blindfolded?" the highflying woman said sarcastically.

"Okay, I deserved that.  But Ames, you know I would NEVER hit her on purpose.  Listen, I… I got into a fight with Brock," he admitted, shuffling his feet.

Amy's eyes widened, "You what?  Did you get caught?"

Adam shook his head, "No… I didn't mean it Amy.  She… she tried to pull me off and I thought she was Rey, cause he was there a minute earlier.  I swear I didn't see her… you know I'd never hurt her on purpose."

Amy nodded in response, "Wow… yeah, I know Adam.  You just have to give her space to calm down.  She, uh… she said she's booking another hotel room.  She said she can't stay with you.  It's just for tonight though."

Adam sighed, "Oh my God, what have I done?  She'll never trust me again!"

"YES, she will, just give her a little time.  Now, I have to go talk to her.  I'll call you later… I'm gonna try and get her to stay with me," she told him, turning and re-entering the locker room.  Adam threw his hands in the air, sighing as he sank back against the wall.  He screwed up big time.  Even though it really wasn't his fault, he couldn't help but feel that he completely screwed up.  Suddenly, another realization hit him.  Brock was right… he was winning.

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Britney tossed and turned in her empty bed, unable to sleep.  As hard as she tried, she couldn't shut her eyes, fearful of falling asleep alone.  After awhile she jumped up, leaving the bedroom.  She walked directly out of the hotel room, not bothering to get changed or put shoes on.  She needed to get out of there and find someone, anyone.  She hated feeling so paranoid about being alone, but she couldn't help it.  As she walked down the empty hall, she wished that Adam was with her.  But she just couldn't see him now, not after everything that happened.  She finally stopped when she reached the door that she knew belonged to the room Jeff and Chris were sharing.  She knocked lightly, hoping at least one of them was awake.  She was relieved when she heard someone fumbling with the locks.  The door opened to reveal a very sleepy looking Jeff Hardy.

"Hey," he mumbled, smiling tiredly at her.

"I'm really sorry I woke you up Jeff, but I can I please come in?" she asked softly.

The younger Hardy smiled, "Sure, come on."  He took her hand and led her in.  He took her into the dark bedroom where the TV was playing softly in the background.  "So what's wrong?  Why aren't you with Amy?" he asked curiously.

"I, uh… got my own room, but now I can't sleep.  Wait… how did you know I was supposed to stay with Amy?" she questioned her rainbow haired friend.

"She told me.  She was gonna kick Matt out if you stayed.  Don't worry Brit, I didn't tell anyone, only me and the diva's… and I guess Adam and Brock know," he told her, adding the last statement on after seeing her expression.

"Not even him?" she asked, pointing at Chris's sleeping form.

"No, I didn't tell Chris either," he assured her.

"Didn't tell Chris what?" Chris asked as he opened his eyes and sat up in his bed.

"You know what?" Jeff started, standing up.  "Why don't I go out and watch TV. I'll let you two talk… I'll probably fall asleep anyway."  After watching the rainbow haired man leave the room, Chris turned to Britney.

"Not that this isn't a pleasant surprise, but what the hell are you doing here?  What's going on?" he asked her, confused, worried, and curious all at the same time.

"I, uh… I was kind of scared.  I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to be alone, so I came here," she told him.  It was all true, she just left a few major details out.

"Well where's Adam?" Jericho asked.  Now he was really confused.

"He, um, he's in his room.  We… we didn't stay together tonight," she said quietly, looking down at her feet.  Britney fumbled with her hands nervously as tears began to work their way into her eyes.  Chris jumped upon seeing this, going to the opposite bed and sitting next to her.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he questioned her, "What happened?  Come on, tell me… you know you can trust me."  Britney looked up at him for a moment.  He was right, she definitely could trust him.  After all, she had gone to him many times with things she wanted kept secret, and Chris always did just that.  She was lucky to have a friend like him.  She sniffled and took a deep breath.

"I… I saw him… and Brock… they were fighting.  Fist fighting.  I yelled at them to stop, but they didn't hear me I don't think.  Adam… he had Brock pinned to the floor, and he just kept punching him.  I didn't want them to get in trouble, so I… I tried to pull him off of Brock.  He… I don't think he knew it was me.  He, uh, swung back and he… he hit me," she said in a watery tone.  Chris's mouth dropped open and went dry.

"He did what?  How could he?  I… I'll kill him," the Canadian said furiously.

"No!  He didn't mean to, he really couldn't have seen me.  But I still got scared, and I… I can't be around him tonight, that's all.  I just can't.  I thought I would be okay alone for one night, but I… freaked out and I just ran out of there.  That's why I came here," she revealed.  Chris sighed sadly, the poor girl was probably scared shitless.

"Hey, what are you afraid of?  What… did you think someone was going to come after you?" he asked quietly.

She laughed dryly.  "I… I guess it's kind of stupid, but Brock saw the whole thing.  He KNOWS me, so I'm sure he knew I was going to be alone.  See, Jay and Stephanie got in a huge fight about something that I think Paul Levesque did.  And this whole thing with Adam and Brock… it's just not right.  I know Adam wouldn't just pick a fight with Brock, and Brock sure as hell would never pick a fight with him.  It just… doesn't add up.  I keep getting the feeling that Brock and Paul are in this together, that they have something much… bigger, in plan.  Needless to say, I just thought that if Brock knew I was alone, then he…"

"He won't touch you.  I don't know about all this shit with Brock and Paul, but then again, you just gave me a mouthful.  I don't picture Brock and Paul as friends, but I would totally take your word over theirs.  We'll figure out what's going on soon enough.  As for tonight, neither of them will be laying a finger on you.  You're staying with me," Chris interrupted.  Britney gazed up at him with her now drying eyes.

"Are you sure that's okay?" she asked uneasily.

"Of course I am.  Why don't you just stay in that bed?  Jeff said he was probably going to fall asleep out there anyway, and you know he won't mind," the blonde Canadian suggested.

"O-okay," she said, settling back.  Chris watched as she slid her tiny form under the covers.

"If you want, I'll take you to see Adam tomorrow," he offered, frowning as she shook her head.

"No.  I'm going home tomorrow, and I don't want to see him before then.  You can go see him if you want, but I won't be there," she informed him.

Chris sighed loudly and tiredly, "Britney, you should really go and at least talk to him.  Just tell him you understand that what happened was an accident.  You know he didn't mean it, so why not just go and let him apologize?  I know you two, and I know…"

He trailed off when he looked down to see that she was already asleep.  Leaning down, he gently kissed her on the forehead before moving back to his own bed.  "Poor kid… I guess I'LL go see him in the morning."

TBC

Ah, angst.  LOL.  By the way, I've decided that Chris Jericho has officially become one of my favorite wrestlers, so he's probably gonna start showing up a lot.  For all of you who like Jericho, that will be a good thing.  If not, oh well, I like him and its my story!  LOL, so what do you think of this chapter???


	19. Part 18

PART 18

THE NEXT DAY

Bang!  Bang!  "Ohh… shit," Adam groaned, rolling over in his bed.  Someone was banging on the door, adding to the monster headache he already had.  He really did not feel like getting up to get the damn door.  Sighing, he got up and headed to the door as the banging persisted.  It wasn't until then that he noticed that he had slept in his clothes from the night before… if you could call it sleeping.  The banging got even louder.

"Alright!  Knock it the fuck off, I'm coming!" he yelled.  As he unlocked the door, he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"We need to talk."

Adam looked up to see the crystal blue eyes of Chris Irvine.  After blocking the entrance for a moment, Adam backed away, allowing the other Canadian in.  The men flopped down on opposite couches.

"You look like hell, man," Chris commented.

Adam groaned again, "Yes, I know.  I've had two VERY long nights.  I don't need a reminder from YOU."  Adam hated being so snappy, but he didn't really see a point in being nice.  "In less than 24 hours, my life has been completely turned upside down."

Chris frowned, "I know man, and I'm sorry.  Britney… she, uh… she stayed with me last night.  She told me everything."  Adam sighed, rubbing his eyes again.  He remained silent, and Chris swore he saw a tear in the taller man's eye.

"I fucked up, Chris.  I… I brought this on myself.  How the hell could I hit her?  How is she ever going to trust me again?" he asked no one in particular.  He'd been asking himself the same questions over and over again all through the night, but he just couldn't seem to find an answer.

"Adam, it was an accident, she knows that just as well as you and I do.  She's not going to hate you forever for something like this.  Don't be so hard on yourself," Chris said sympathetically.

"How can I NOT be?  I lost the most important person in my life… in my entire world!  God, I… I know it was only an accident, but I just can't… I just love her so damn much, Chris.  She's only been gone for one night and I'm ready to fucking snap," he said in a lost tone.

"But Adam, you haven't LOST her.  She's just scared, and she needs time, but she'd never leave you over this.  Just give her a few days… it'll all blow over, trust me," Jericho replied, beginning to worry.  In all the years he had known Adam, he never saw him in such bad shape emotionally.

"I hope you're right," Adam responded.  "You said Brit stayed with you last night.  Could you please get her and bring her over here?"  Chris frowned and shook his head at the request.

"Sorry, but I can't do that."

"Christ… you sound like Trish.  Why not?" he asked, slightly offended.

Chris sighed, "Because she's, um… she's gone.  She left for home already.  She didn't want to say goodbye.  She said she'd, uh… see you when we got back on the road."  Adam shook his head.  Damn it, it was losing her again.  All of the shit being piled on him was beginning to severely weigh him down.  All because of Brock fucking Lesnar.

"I guess I have a long few days off then.  I'll… I'll call her when I get home," Adam said solemnly.

The shorter man across from him nodded, "It would probably be best."

HOTEL LOBBY 

"Hey Vince, you needed to see me?" Brock said as he approached his boss.  Vince McMahon looked up from the stack of papers he was holding to meet the eyes of his niece's ex-boyfriend.

"Yes, have a seat," he instructed, pointing at the couch Brock was standing by.  "Now Brock, I've been hearing a lot from many of the divas, and to tell you the truth, I'm not enjoying much of what I've heard.  I want to hear your side before I jump to any conclusions."

_Oh shit, the fight, _Brock thought silently.  "Oh, yeah.  I'm sorry Vince.  What happened with me and Adam Copeland was just some stupid macho sh--- stuff.  We just got carried away.  I'm so sorry… I know this isn't a great way to start out a career," Lesnar said, lowering his head shamefully.

"Brock, you realize that this is the second time you've gotten into a fight since you arrived.  However, neither you nor Adam will be fined or suspended.  This will serve as your FINAL warning though," Vince scolded.  After hearing of the scuffle, Mr. McMahon began to worry a little about Brock.  It certainly made him wonder if all the things he heard about the young man were true.  Still, he couldn't bear to think that his little niece actually went through all the things his son told him about.  He decided he would just have to keep a closer watch on Lesnar from now on.

Brock looked up, "Yes sir… and I'm really sorry.  It won't happen ever again, I promise."  He widened his eyes, putting on the best innocent face possible.  Vince gave him a smile.

"Alright, as long as we're clear.  Have a nice couple days off," he said.

"You too, thanks Vince!" Brock called as he headed towards the stairs to go up and get his things.  "Stupid bastard," he muttered about his boss, smirking all the way up the steps.

BRINTEY'S HOUSE 

The phone was ringing again.  It had been ringing nonstop since she left.  Practically everyone who knew what had happened called to check on her.  She hadn't picked up the phone yet.  She had messages from Adam, Amy, Jeff, Stephanie, Chris, Trish, Kurt, Mark, and Jay, trying to see if she was okay.  Word traveled pretty quickly in her circle of friends.  It was sweet and all, but Britney just didn't want to spend her two days off getting sympathy calls.  Once again, she let the machine pick up.  She passed by the machine on the way out of her bedroom, stopping when she recognized Adam's voice.  Again.

_"Hey baby, it's me again.  I'm still SO sorry for what happened the other day.  When you get this, PLEASE call me.  You've only been gone for around a day and a half and I'm already losing it.  I MISS you, Brit.  And I know you're there… please stop ignoring me and just CALL so I can at least apologize.  You owe it to both of us to at least hear what I have to say.  Please, just give me a call or something… anything.  I love you, don't forget that.  Bye."_

Britney sighed, unable to control the tears from springing to her eyes.  She felt like such a bitch for everything.  First, she left without saying goodbye, when all her friends wanted to do was to see if she was okay… and now she wasn't taking any phone calls.  She felt absolutely rotten for how she was treating all her friends, especially Adam.  _It was an accident_, she told herself time and time again.  She just couldn't help it… whether or not he meant to, he had frightened her.  Goddamn it, this was all Brock's fault.  He HAD to have planned all the event that had transpired over the last two days.  Brock and Paul HAD to be in it together.  Brock was definitely smart, and Levesque wasn't too dumb either.  They definitely had to have concocted this scheme… and Britney doubted that it would be over any time soon.

ADAM'S HOUSE 

Adam reclined on the couch, checking his watch for the umpteenth time.  Britney STILL hadn't returned his calls.  He'd left the last message over 2 and ½ hours ago.  In all honesty, he didn't really think she would call back, but there was that tiny glimmer of wrongfully hopeful chance.  It was times like these that the Canadian wished he wasn't so damn positive all the time… it really made him get his hopes up for nothing.  He really needed to stop thinking about her, but no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't.  For Christ's sake, there was a playoff hockey game on and he couldn't even bring himself to pay attention!  He honestly didn't even know which teams were on the ice.  It was as though his whole world came to a grinding halt because Britney wasn't speaking to him.  He stared at the TV screen, completely spaced out.  A knock on the front door snapped the Canadian out of his trance.  Adam jumped and practically ran to the door.  _It's her… THAT'S why she wasn't returning any calls… she was on her way here!_

"Oh… hey Steph," he said somewhat disappointedly after yanking the door open.  He didn't mean to send her such an un-amused look, but in his disillusioned mind, he thought that maybe it was Britney at his door.  Stephanie noticed the look right away, and she understood how he felt.

"Sorry for just showing up like this.  I, uh… I know I'm probably not exactly who you wanted to see," the brunette apologized, smiling.  Adam sheepishly returned the grin.

"No, I'm sorry Steph.  You know how I can get sometimes.  Please, come in," he instructed, backing out of the way and allowing her to enter.

"Look, I know you probably don't want any visitors, but I really wanted to talk to you.  I'll make this…"

"Don't worry about it.  Just sit down.  Who knows… maybe company will do me good," he said hopefully.  They walked into the living room, and sat down next to each other on the couch.

"I was going to go home… but then I realized that I forgot to thank you.  So I decided to swing by on the way and do it in person."

Adam raised an eyebrow, laughing as he responded, "Steph, this is Florida.  You live in Connecticut.  It isn't like you can just 'swing by' on your way.  But still, I'm glad you're here.  What are you thanking me for?"

Stephanie grew serious, "Well, everything you've done for me and Britney, for the last few months.  Specifically the last two days, though… especially for patching 'this' up."  She held up her still bandaged hand.

"It was no problem.  I did what any good guy would do.  Really Steph, it's nothing," he insisted, but the brunette shook her head.  "No, it was a lot more than nothing.  I showed up at your door at three in the morning with a bloody hand, and you didn't slam the door in my face.  You let me in AND you cleaned up my hand.  Not only that, you LISTENED to me.  I can't tell you how much that means to me.  You're probably the first guy, except Jay to ever REALLY listen, and actually care.  And you always have.  You were so nice to me even when I was with Paul and I treated everyone so horribly," she explained.  Well, that certainly made Adam feel a little bit better about himself.

"That's because I saw through everything.  I knew what kind of person you were, and so did Britney.  The person you were while you were with Paul was not the Stephanie McMahon that I know today," Adam said seriously.

Stephanie nodded, "That's for sure.  I always knew Paul was no good… he… he reminded me of Brock.  But… I guess that's what the McMahon girls are made for."  Adam frowned, the tone of Stephanie's voice making him uncomfortable.  She got unmistakably quiet… and that last statement.  _"That's what the McMahon girls are made for."  _He could have sworn he heard Britney say that before, about why she stayed with Brock for so long.

"What do you mean?" he asked a little uneasily.

"Oh, nothing.  Don't… don't worry about it," the brunette answered, eyes widening a little.  Adam knew better, as Stephanie and his girlfriend were exactly alike… which meant when they said nothing, it meant something.

"No, tell me.  Come on Steph, you know you can tell me anything, so just tell me," he insisted, earning a groan.

"A-alright… but it's really nothing.  It… its just this thing that Brock said to me and Brit this one time.  It just really sticks in my mind when I think of Paul, that's all.  One day, I actually got up the nerve to threaten Brock… I told him I was going to tell my dad the truth about him.  I… I should have never went alone," she said distantly.  Adam watched as a pained expression suddenly took over her pretty face, like she was recalling a bad memory.

"Steph, I don't get it.  What else happened?" he asked, placing a hand on her knee and encouraging her to go on.

"Well, I went to his house one day when I knew they were there alone.  I… I kind of went to… to spy on them, I guess."

Adam nodded, "And I'm guessing you didn't like what you saw."

Nodding, Stephanie replied, "At first I felt a little guilty, cause they were just laying around watching TV.  Next thing I knew, he was up and screaming at her for God knows what, and I got mad.  Just as I flung the door open, he smacked her right on the cheek.  And it was hard too, cause you could see the handprint on her face.  She… she just wouldn't cry.  It was like she knew if she cried, she would only get hit again.  So anyway, I screamed at him.  I… I told him I was going to tell my dad."  She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.  "He, uh… he laughed.  He said he'd make sure neither of us ever told.  That was… it was the first time he hit me.  He only hit me like 3 times in my whole life, but it scared the shit out of me.  I… I can't even imagine what poor Britney went through.  Anyway, when we went home, Britney and I told Shane everything, and he was PISSED.  Absolutely livid… he told us not to worry, that he would take care of everything himself.  Obviously, it didn't work… but he did try, at dinner that night."

JUNE 23, 1997 

_"Excuse me?" Vince asked, clearing his throat.  He couldn't believe what his son had just said, of what he accused such a good kid like Brock of doing.  The look on Shane McMahon's face did not falter._

_"You heard me Dad.  Why don't you just tell him, Brock?  Tell him what you did to these two today!" he said angrily._

_Brock's eyes widened, "Excuse me?  Shane, what are you talking about?"_

_"Yes, what the hell ARE you talking about?" Vince demanded._

_"Dad, THIS asshole hit Britney AND Stephanie today…"_

_"Mr. McMahon, um… Vince, I didn't even see your daughter from the end of school till I got here," Lesnar insisted._

_"I'm sure you didn't, son," Vince replied.  "I believe my son's imaginative mind is getting the best of him again.  Shane, I think I told you to keep you're creative ideas for the company's use, didn't I?"_

_"Oh my God, I'm telling the truth, aren't I Brit?" Shane swore, becoming frustrated.  Everyone took their eyes off of Brock and turned to Britney.  Out of the corner of her eye, Stephanie saw Brock place his fists on the table and clench them tightly.  Britney must have seen it too, as her eyes widened.  He was intimidating her, and it was working very well._

_"I, uh… well… no.  It… it's… not… true," she said unwillingly.  She had no choice.  There was no way in hell she could just rat Brock out… he would kill her.  Shave heaved an enormous sigh, frowning when Britney sent him a helpless look._

_"Alright, young man, what the hell was that all about?!" Vince demanded again, raising his voice angrily.  Shane sighed again,_

_"Don't you see?  He's SCARING her so much that she's LYING to you!"_

_"With all due respect Shane, you're the one who's lying.  I… I'm upset, man.  I thought we were friends," Brock cut in, seemingly offended._

_"Like I'd EVER be friends with a no good piece of fucking shit like you!" Shane cried._

_"Alright, knock it off!  And watch your damn language in my house!  You better be happy your mother's not here to see that, and I don't care how old you are!  You know what… go and get in the car.  You and I are going to go take a ride and have a chat.  It seems that even at your age, your maturity level is way behind," Vince said, pointing at the front door._

_"God damn bastard," Shane mumbled as he headed to the car.  That so hadn't gone as he hoped.  In his dad's eyes, he had gone a picked a fight with a kid who was about 5 years younger than him.  After watching his son disappear out the door, Vince turned to Brock, who was standing in the kitchen with a bewildered look on his face._

_"I'm really sorry about that.  Please excuse how rude my son was acting.  Girls, I'll be back later.  Brock, you can let yourself out when you're ready.  Once again, I'm very sorry about what just happened," Vince said, glancing back at the three kids._

_"Alright Mr. McMahon, thank you," Brock said, smiling innocently._

_Britney and Stephanie followed Vince halfway to the door.  After the door closed behind him, the girls sighed loudly.  They turned back to head to the kitchen, both of them smacking directly into Brock.  The innocent face he was wearing was completely wiped off, and had been replaced with a cold glare.  He shoved Stephanie clear across the room, causing her to trip and whack her head on a table.  Brock then grabbed Britney and shoved her roughly up against the wall, causing her to cry out._

_"You are fucking lucky.  You better watch that bastard cousin of yours.  He could really get me in trouble, which means he could really get you HURT," Brock hissed, holding her to the wall as tears filled her eyes._

_"And what if we do tell?" Stephanie asked cockily.  Leave it to Stephanie to never part with her pride in any situation.  "Then Britney could move on and get a new boyfriend, one that's better than a piece of trash like you!"  Brock let go of his girlfriend, letting her slump down the wall as he made his way to the brunette.  Picking her up, he threw her on the couch, pinning her to it._

_"Oh, Stephanie… Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie.  Don't you see?  Britney was BOUND to date a guy like me… just like her stupid whore of a mother.  It's in her blood… and it's in yours too.  Just like your aunt, you and Britney will end up beaten down crack addict sluts.  It's what the McMahon girls are made for," he told her.  With that said, he turned and stormed out of the house._

"He's sick Steph.  You know everything he said was totally untrue," Adam said after hearing her story.

"Yeah, I… I know now.  But when I got with Paul… it just made sense," Stephanie said.  "I know now that it's not true.  I know that what happened to my aunt was her own fault, but it doesn't mean that Britney and I are destined to be like that.  My dad is so afraid that we'll end up like her, Adam.  That's why he always acts so crazy about the whole situation… he doesn't want to see his daughter and the niece he thinks of as a daughter turn into his sister.  He was really hurt by her death.  You know, I think he knows that all of this is true, but I think it's just unbearably hard for him to admit it.  So yeah, I know that none of what Brock said is true… I'm just not sure that Britney does."


	20. Part 19

PART 19

****

MONDAY-JULY 1ST, 2002

"Dude, you've got to be shitting me," Chris said incredulously.

"Nope, Vince just told of his wonderful plan a few minutes ago.  I think he's finally gone completely insane," Mark said, shaking his head at the younger man.

"So let me get this whole thing straight," Kurt cut in.  "Brock Lesnar gets to be WWE Champion?"

Mark nodded, "Apparently so.  According to Vince, his 'good friend Paul' presented him with the idea.  He said that it was just a good idea and he couldn't turn it down… good idea my ass."

Chris shook his head, "This is bullshit.  Not to bitch or anything, but I've been in the wrestling business for a good ten years.  Why the hell does this 25 year old nobody get to waltz right in to the championship?"

"I'm usually not one to complain, especially after how quick I won the title, but I have to agree with you.  Even though I was only in the company for a year, I was older… and besides, a year's a lot longer than a couple months," Kurt added.

"Not to mention that you were a TALENTED wrestler," Chris remarked bitterly.

Mark scowled, "There's something I don't like about them two… Paul and Brock, I mean.  Damn, I should have known Levesque would pull something like this."

"Something like what?"  The three men looked up to see Adam standing there, awaiting an answer.

Mark sighed, "Don't get too pissed, but um… Vince thinks it would be a good idea to give Brock Lesnar the WWE Title."

Adam's frown dropped into a deeper scowl, "Are you serious?!"

"Yeah, he is," Kurt said, shaking his head as well.  "Mark's gonna lose the title to Rocky at Vengeance, and then he's gonna lose to Lesnar at Summerslam."  Adam tried to reply, but he really couldn't.  His whole body was basically numb.  A

s if his life couldn't get any worse.  How nice it was of Kurt and Mark to stomp even more dirt in his face.  Adam knew it wasn't their fault, as he didn't think either of them knew about his less-than-enjoyable weekend.  If they did, they surely wouldn't throw this in his face.  Brock Lesnar as the WWE Champion?  What the hell was the company coming to?  As much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to dislike Vince McMahon more and more as each day passed.  After deciding that he really had nothing---or maybe it was too much---to say, Adam simply turned and walked away, leaving the others behind.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

"Dude, wait up!"  Adam looked up to see Jay, jogging to catch up to him.  He couldn't even open his mouth to form the word hello.  It didn't matter too much though, as Jay didn't seem to notice, jumping right into a conversation.

"Hey man, thanks for taking care of Steph this weekend.  I was definitely an asshole, and I'm sorry for what I did… to both of you.  Seriously man, if it wasn't for you, Steph and I would have never made up.  So thanks man.  I… hey, what's wrong?" Jay asked when he saw the lost gaze on his best friend's face.

"I… you won't believe this.  Brock's getting the title… at Summerslam," he said, dragging his feet along as they walked.  Jay stopped, eyeing Adam for a minute.

"What?  You've got to be kidding me," the shorter blonde said.  Adam stopped as well, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, it's true.  Mark,  Kurt, and Chris just told me.  Vince has obviously seen the amazing talent that Brock has… talent my ass," Adam said bitterly.

"Adam, are you okay?" Jay asked worriedly, his eyes growing concerned.  Jay felt a chill go down his spine as his eyes met Adam's intense green ones.  Adam looked like he was about to snap… or perhaps he already had.

"Oh, I'm wonderful Jay, just wonderful… of course I'm not okay!  I so did NOT even want to BE here today, but I FORCED myself out of bed and on a plane to come here… only to find out that Brock Lesnar is getting the WWE Title!  I've been here for five fucking years and he's been here for five MONTHS!  But that's… that's not even it.  I mean, first Stephanie, and then the fight, and then Britney… and now THIS!  I don't think I can take this goddamn company anymore!  Is there any more SHIT I could pile on top of the 9 fucking ton boulder I have on my neck?" Adam exclaimed, sending his friend a completely hopeless look.  Jay sighed, now he didn't know if he had the heart to tell Adam what Stephanie had told him earlier.

"I… I know you probably don't need this right now, but I'd really rather you hear from me rather than someone else.  There's… there's something else," he said uneasily.

"So tell me.  I'm sure my life can't get any more fucked up than it already is.  I just can't wait for Britney to get here so I can talk to her.  Then we can hopefully sort things out and I can get at least one problem out of the…"

"She's not coming," Jay said in a tone so quiet that Adam almost didn't hear him.  But he DID hear him… and he didn't like what he heard at all.

"What?" the taller Canadian asked, daring his best friend to repeat.

"Um… Stephanie said that Britney called Vince.  She asked for a few days off… she told him that she just didn't think she could be here right now.  He… he gave it to her," Jay said reluctantly.  His heart sank as Adam's expression dropped even lower.  "Adam, I'm sorry," he offered, placing his hand on Adam's shoulder consolingly.  Brushing his hand off, Adam straightened up and did something he had done just a few minutes earlier… he walked away.

THREE DAYS LATER- JULY 4TH, 2002

Adam lay in bed in his hotel room, absentmindedly flipping through the channels.  Raw, Smackdown, and one House Show had come and gone, and he still hadn't seen or talked to Britney.  The past week without her had been absolutely miserable.  He couldn't stand being apart from her… it was killing him.  The Canadian couldn't even think straight.  He couldn't even celebrate the fact that he had won the Tag Titles with his childhood idol Hulk Hogan on Smackdown and successfully defended them at the house show.  He even turned Hogan down when he asked him if he wanted to go out for a drink after the show.

_"Are you sure man?" he asked, becoming a little concerned.  "That's the second night in a row that you said you didn't feel much like going out."_

_Adam sighed, "I know man, and I'm sorry, I really am.  You know how much I'd love to hang out with you Hulkster.  I… I just kind of have a lot on my mind right now."_

_"Well, I hope everything's okay.  You want to tell me what's going on?" Hogan asked him.  He was concerned about the kid… he looked like he hadn't slept in days._

_"It… it's a whole lot of shit really.  But it all resulted in my girlfriend totally not talking to me, and I'm not sure when she's going to start again, if she does," Adam told Hogan remorsefully.  He still felt so guilty about what happened._

_"Oh, so that's why Britney's not here?" Hogan asked, regretting doing so when he saw Adam wince at the mention of his girlfriend's name.  The Canadian nodded slowly and painfully._

_"I'm sorry man.  I'll let you go then.  Things'll get better, just hang in there, brother."_

_Adam nodded, thanking him halfheartedly, "Thanks man… I hope so."_

Suddenly, he heard a sound… someone was opening his hotel room door.  Adam groaned.  Earlier, Amy had told him that she had a huge fight with Matt, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to stay with him that night.  Well, she was one of his best friends, so he gave her a spare key to his room in case she needed it.  Once again, he wished he wasn't so damn nice.  Still, he knew he would never have the heart to leave such a good friend as Amy out in the cold when she'd offered every night of the week to stay with him while Britney was gone.  Needless to say, he sat up on the bed, waiting for her to come in.  He heard the door open, followed by tiny footsteps headed in his direction.  The closed bedroom door slowly inched open, and Adam looked up to meet a pair of legs encased in a short skirt.  He couldn't believe Amy would wear a skirt… it was definitely unlike her.  They didn't even look like Amy's legs.  In fact, the tanned legs his eyes were fixed on looked like Britney's.  _Great Adam, now you're seeing things.  _Still, he looked up, prepared to meet her hazel eyes.  However, he was met with a pair of bright blue ones instead.  Adam's breath caught in his throat.  When he finally managed to speak, only one word came out of his mouth.

"Britney?"

The Canadian blinked a few times, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.  Sure enough, when he opened them after about the sixth blink, she was still there.  She was there… and he was thanking God for it.  Adam felt his breath catch again as he stared at her, drinking her in.  She stood at the door, staring at him with teary eyes.  He'd almost forgotten how incredibly beautiful she was.  He stood, slowly making his way to her.  When he reached her, he stuck his hand out, running his fingers over her soft skin.  He ran his hands all over her face---her eyes, cheeks, and lips---like he was reading Braille.  After a few moments, he couldn't bear it any longer.  He tugged at her, reveling at the feeling of her falling into his arms again.  He didn't care about anything that had happened over the course of the week, or how mad he was that she wasn't there.  As far as he was concerned, it didn't matter.  He was with the woman he loved again… and she came back.  No one made her… that had to mean SOMETHING.  They stood like that for a good five minutes, Adam holding her tightly as she clung to him fiercely.  Finally, he led her to the bed, sitting next to her on the edge of it, not letting go of her for a second.  They both began to speak at the same time.

"Go ahead," Adam said gentlemanly.

"Um… Amy gave me the key to get in.  I didn't know how you'd react to me calling, so I just… I asked her to lie to you about it.  I… I just came here to… to say that I'm sorry.  I really am.  I KNOW I should have at least called you, but I just couldn't.  This whole week, I've been moping around because I thought I was upset at what you did.  Then last night, I realized that I wasn't upset cause of what you did, I was upset because you weren't there.  It made me realize how much I need you, Adam.  I… I don't think I could make it without you," she said honestly, unable to keep a tear or two from sliding down her cheek.  _Wow_, was all Adam could think.  He was doing his best to fight that grin again.

Britney continued, "So I made a decision. I'm not going to be afraid of you.  You've given me no reason to be.  I… I've got to get over my trust issues.  I'm going to make sure things work this time, Adam.  I won't let myself lose you… I can't."

Adam was once again speechless.  This woman extracted emotions from him that he never even knew he had.  "Oh God, Brit.  I missed you so much… you have no idea how much.  This past week without you has been absolute hell, cause I need you too.  I need you more than I realized… you're everything to me, and I… I'm just so happy you're here," Adam said, pulling her into his arms again.  The two held each other in another long embrace, until Britney pushed him away to speak.

"I also made another decision… one that took me a little longer to make," she said.  "I… I really trust you Adam.  More than I think I've ever trusted anybody.  It scares the shit out of me… but you know, maybe it shouldn't.  I… I can look into the future sometimes, and I can see us together.  I-I know we can make it… and I know that you would never hurt me.  So… I made an important decision."

"What's that?" Adam asked with incredible curiosity.  The pretty blonde glanced from Adam to the floor and back, sending him a coy and almost shy look.

She smiled softly, "I'm ready."

THREE HOURS LATER 

Now it was Britney who lay awake, lazily running her hand across Adam's forearm that was wrapped securely around her.  Adam had long since been asleep, but the young McMahon couldn't help but stay awake.  She couldn't believe it… she actually did it.  Before tonight, Britney didn't think anything sexual was going to happen between them for a long, long time.  She was convinced that she was too scared.  But she finally decided to suck up her fears, because no one could be as scary as Brock Lesnar.  Adam was completely different.  He just had a slower, more loving and intimate way of doing things.  It was arguably the best night of her entire life.  The way he looked at her afterward, she just loved it.  She loved the way he kept telling her it was okay to stop.  She loved the tiny kiss he placed on the tip of her nose after catching his breath.  She loved the way he gazed down at her and said "I love you."  And when he noticed the tears in her eyes, she loved the way he jumped.

"Are you okay?  Did I hurt you?" he asked somewhat frantically.

Britney smiled, "I'm fine, Adam."  That still wasn't enough for him.

"Are you sure?  Tell me the truth," he insisted.  He sure as hell didn't want to hurt her, but he wanted to know if he did so he could correct it.

She shook her head, "I'm sure.  Baby, I'm fine, really.  Better than fine, actually."  Adam loosened up a bit, wiping a tear off of her cheek.

"Then why are you crying?" he asked, still not completely convinced that she was okay.  Her smile softened.

"Because, I don't really know.  That was just… I just… let's just say not very many of my experiences with guys were like that.  It… you were perfect.  I swear Adam, I feel way better than fine.  In fact, you've made me feel so much better than fine.  You… you make me feel so good about myself, I've never really felt so good before."

After hearing her words, he finally smiled.  She was right about one thing.  It definitely was perfect.

"I love you," he said quietly, kissing her on the forehead, moving off of her so he was lying behind her.

She loved everything about what had just happened.  She just simply loved him.  Now, if only she could just SAY it.  The tiny blonde shifted slightly, turning so that she could eye her sleeping boyfriend's form.  He really was a beautiful man.  She didn't even want to think of where she would be without him.  She was finally beginning to understand why Shane told Adam about her, and she was actually glad.  If he hadn't told Adam everything about her past, Adam would have never told her how he felt.  He would have never taken her on to the beach that night and told her everything that he knew.  Then, she could be off God knows where with Brock, instead of here in Adam's arms, where she belonged.  Gently touching his cheek, she smiled.

"I love you, Adam Copeland."

TBC

Aww.  LOL, so whaddya think?


	21. Part 20

PART 20

THE NEXT MONDAY- JULY 8, 2002

    Mark pounded on the door of Room 1507, waiting for the door to open.  He had some things to discuss.  While he was waiting, he turned his head and glanced down the hallway.  Way down the other end of the hall, he noticed two very big men talking to each other.  The Dead Man squinted, and he realized that the two figures belonged to Brock Lesnar and Paul Levesque.  The two men talked briefly, before Brock noticed Mark standing down the hall watching them.  Patting Levesque on the shoulder, he pointed in Mark's direction.  The two men then shook hands and departed in separate directions.  Mark shook his head.  He really didn't like either one of them.  He wondered why they were meeting so early, as it was only 7 o'clock.  Finally, the door creaked open, revealing a very tired looking Dwayne Johnson appeared.  Dwayne was finally finished filming the _Scorpion King_, and was scheduled to return tomorrow at the Smackdown tapings in Atlantic City.  However, he was making a special appearance that night before Raw in Philadelphia. 

"Hey Mark.  Uh, I know this isn't a great greeting from someone you haven't seen in awhile, but what in the blue hell are you doing here so early?" he asked, sending Mark a tired smile.  

"What can I say, I'm an early bird.  Besides, I need to talk to you," the taller man replied, stepping into the hotel room.  After grabbing an arm chair and plopping into it, Mark continued, "Listen, you know that I love working with you, and that I have absolutely no problem jobbing to you at Vengeance.  I DO, however, have a huge problem wit the piece of shit you have to give the title to at Summerslam."  

Dwayne raised an eyebrow, "You mean Brock?  Why?  He introduced himself last night when I got here… he seemed nice enough."  

Mark snorted, "Well than you either smoked something on the way here or he was lying through his goddamn teeth.  He's a punk."  The People's Champ frowned.  He knew Mark pretty well, and he knew that the American Bad Ass wouldn't lie about such a thing.  

"What do you mean?  What did he do?" he asked curiously.  

"Well, for starters, he's a cocky little egomaniacal brat.  Then there's that little story of how he broke Britney's ribs, gave her a black eye, and most likely raped her… and I'm sure I could think of more reasons if necessary," Mark snapped.  Dwayne couldn't believe his ears.  

"What?  You mean that Brock kid did all that to Britney?  Little Britney McMahon?" he asked incredulously.  

Mark nodded, "Yeah.  From what I know, which I can almost guarantee isn't the whole story, Britney and Lesnar dated a long time ago and he was like, really horrible.  Shane tried to tell his father that, but Vince wouldn't have it.  Since Britney wouldn't admit to it, he'd never believe it.  When he got here, he scared her into going back out with him."  Dwayne sighed, this was really a shame.  Britney was such a sweetheart.  She didn't deserve any of that… no one did.  

"Oh my God… she isn't still with him is she?" he asked fearfully.  He hoped, for her sake, that she wasn't.  

"Hell no," Mark said thankfully.  "But she would be if it wasn't for Adam.  He totally saved her from all that.  This past week, Chris was telling me he even fist fought Brock because of something he said about Britney.  He really takes good care of her.  I'm so glad they're together… he's a good kid."  

A soft smile began to play on Rocky's lips.  "Yeah he is.  And that's really great."  Mark eyed the former Miami Hurricane briefly.  

"Yeah… look, I gotta run man.  I won't take up any more time.  Just remember what I said Dwayne."  

"Alright, see you man.  And I will.  I just might pay Vince McMahon a visit today."

TWO AND ½ HOURS LATER 

"Hey," Brock said as he watched Paul enter his hotel room.  

"I don't see why we couldn't have done this earlier," Paul grunted, sitting down at the table.  

"Come on man, you saw Callaway watching us.  I don't trust that bastard.  He's onto us, and he's just aching to get us in trouble," Brock said.  

Paul sighed, "If you say so.  Anyway… so… did you talk to him?"  

Brock grinned widely, "I had Heyman call him.  He's totally up for it," he said laughing.  

"Really?" the Game asked, a little surprised.  

"Well, this sure is a fucked up world, isn't it?  You'd think a guy wouldn't do that to his own family."  

Brock shrugged, "Yeah, well it's not like he played a prominent role in his life or anything, and quite frankly I don't care.  Heyman said that he just got out of prison about a year or two ago after an attempted murder.  He's already fucked up… and all we have to do is give him the time and place to show up.  It's perfect.  Adam and Britney REALLY won't be expecting THIS."  The two men sat in silence for a moment.  "Hey, didn't you say you wanted to tell me something?" Brock asked, suddenly remembering the phone call he had with Levesque on his way over.  Paul sighed… he knew Brock wasn't going to like this one bit.  

"Um… you know what… it was nothing.  Don't worry about it," he said uneasily.  

"Bullshit," Lesnar retorted. 

 "Oh alright," Levesque said.  "I, um… I overheard Adam talking to Jay this morning."  "And?" Brock demanded.  "And um, they… Brit and Adam… they had… I think they finally… they finally did it last night," Paul said, waiting for Brock to hit the roof.  He knew that Brock would know exactly what he meant.  

"WHAT?" he screamed, jumping out of his seat.  "HOW?  I thought she'd never… she just couldn't.  Ooh, what a fucking slut!  That's it… where is he now?  I'll kill him!" 

"Brock, she IS his girlfriend," Levesque reminded him.  Brock stomped his foot loudly.  

"NO!  She's mine, damn it!  That blonde fucking pretty boy will ROT for ever touching her!" he yelled immaturely.  

"Alright, alright.  Calm down.  We'll get him, you know that," Paul reassured him.  

"Yeah, we will," Brock said furiously.  "I'll show Adam Copeland that he's gone too far this time.  When we get this guy on board, it's done.  He's done.  And we're taking Stephanie, Jay, Britney, and ESPECIALLY Shane down with him.  Hell, we'll take Mark, Chris, and that redheaded bitch out too, and anyone else who decides that they want to get in our way.  I'm sick of fucking waiting around.  We need to come up with a plan to get rid of him… for good."  

Paul smirked, "I thought you'd never say that."  

"Mark my words Paul, Adam Copeland is going to 'feel the pain'.  Better yet, Adam Copeland is going to die."

LATER THAT AFTERNOON 

"Hey Vince," Dwayne said as he walked into Vince's makeshift office at the First Union Center.  

"Hello Dwayne," Vince said, looking up from the papers he was working on.  

"What can I do for you?"  "I'm here to talk about Brock Lesnar," Dwayne told him.  

"Yes, Brock's a talented kid.  I know he's a little young and it's a little early in his career, but I see his potential.  He reminds me a little of you.  That's why I want you to drop the title to him," Mr. McMahon said.  

Dwayne nodded, "I'm not arguing the fact that he's talented Vince.  But I'm not here to talk about Brock Lesnar from a business standpoint.  I'm more interested in learning about him on a… personal level."  

Vince sighed, "You wouldn't have happened to hear some stories about Brock and my niece already, have you?"  Dwayne eyed his boss skeptically.  He didn't seem too thrilled when he mentioned Britney.  

"Actually, I talked to Mark Callaway this morning.  He kinda told me about Brock and Britney.  I know Mark wouldn't make stuff up about Britney… she's like a daughter to him.  Vince, how could you push a guy who hurt your niece so badly?" he asked, confused.  If Vince knew of all this abuse, you'd think he'd throw the bastard in jail, not hire him and give him the WWE Title.  But then again, this was Vincent Kennedy McMahon, and he wasn't exactly a sane man.  

"Look… my niece, and my two kids for that matter, tend to tell stories.  I love them all to death, but they have creative minds.  Brock's a good kid… and besides, Britney wasn't perfect either.  My girls are… high maintenance.  I guess Britney felt Brock wasn't good enough for her… much like Stephanie and Paul.  Paul was a good guy too.  Women are like that sometimes," the WWE Chairman said.  Dwayne shook his head.  

"Are you serious?  How could you not believe everyone telling you this?  I know it's got to be hard to admit that it happened.  If I were her uncle, I'd feel somewhat guilty, as I'm sure you do.  And you're entitled to, but that still doesn't mean you can't help her!  If she was my niece…"  

"But she ISN'T your niece.  She's MINE!  I'VE had to live with her shit and protect her from herself since she was thirteen, not YOU.  And you know NOTHING about her and Brock.  He SAVED her from turning into her mother!  And you know what happened to my sister," he interrupted in a tone that was a cross between pained and pissed off.  The Great One didn't know what to make of this.  He didn't know whether to be mad at Vince for not doing anything about his of to feel sorry for him for having to go through all this and not know what to do.  

"I-I… I'm sorry, but…"  

"I think you've said all you needed to," Vince noted.  "Please excuse yourself from my office."  

Dwayne nodded, standing from his seat and exiting the room.  Vince sighed loudly, placing his head in his hands.  As much as he hated to admit it, all the signs were pointing at Brock.  Mr. McMahon couldn't bear to believe that the man who he thought would save Britney from becoming her mother was the one who was turning her INTO it.  Maybe Shane hadn't been lying to him.  Maybe it was Lesnar this whole time.  He spent years trying to figure out where he was going wrong with his niece, only to find out that the problem was lying right under his nose.  The broken ribs, all the bruises she had as a kid, Shane's broken arm years ago, that black eye Britney had a few months ago… it all made sense.  Brock hit his daughter.  Brock broke his son's arm, when all his son was doing was protecting his baby cousin.  Brock beat his niece, and God knows what else.  And Vince was willing to bet that Brock was the one who instigated the fights with Jay and Adam.  He couldn't get any of those thoughts out of his head.  It was Brock Lesnar all along.  And he just yesterday promised this monster the WWE Title.  _Oh my God… what have I done?_


	22. Part 21

PART 21

VENGEANCE- JULY 21, 2002

Chris entered the arena where Vengeance was being held.  It was still early, and hardly anyone was in the arena.  Chris wanted to arrive early so he could rest a little before John Cena arrived so they could talk about their match.  As he walked down the hallway, he spotted Stacy Keibler saying goodbye to Torrie Wilson.  The leggy blonde turned and headed in his direction, smiling when she caught a glimpse of him.

"Hey Chris!" she said cheerily, causing him to grin.  Her bubbly personality was a warm relief after a long trip to Detroit.

"Hey Stace, can you do me a huge favor?" he asked, reaching out to hug her.

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, laughing as she looked down at him.  At 5'11 AND wearing about 4 inch heels, the diva towered over Chris's 5'9" form.

"Could you please tell me where Britney is?  I know she said she was coming early," Y2J asked.

Stacy laughed again, "She's in the catering room.  But I should warn you… she's with Adam… and they're alone."

"Oh dear.  Well, you know how I love to interrupt things.  Thanks Stace, I'll see you in a little," he said, grinning as they said goodbye and went in separate directions.  The Canadian made his way around the corner and into the catering room.

He immediately spotted Adam and Britney, as they were the only two people in the room, as Stacy had told him.  They were all the way in the back, sitting on the couch together, and as Chris walked closer, he could see that they were kissing.  As Jericho approached the couple Adam shifted, turning his back to Chris and covering Britney's face with his as they continued to kiss deeply.  Chris rolled his eyes… they had no idea he was even in there.  He debated on whether or not he should interrupt.  Noticing Adam slide his hand up her thigh, Chris made up his mind.

Clearing his throat loudly, he cut in, "Let's keep it PG kids."  Both Adam and Britney jumped, and Britney shoved Adam off of her, cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

"How long have you been standing there?" Adam asked, eyeing his friend.

Chris laughed, "Long enough, Junior.  Now, can I please steal your girlfriend before you two make my eyes bleed?"  Adam sighed, kissing Britney on the forehead and standing up.

"Take care of her, you perve," Adam said, laughing as he strolled away.  As much as he would have loved to stay right where he was with Britney, he had things to do for that night.  He had actually asked Chris to stay with her so he could get everything done without her around.

"Hey honey," Chris said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Yes dear?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"How's my birthday girl doing?" he asked grinning.

She grinned back widely, "Well, I WAS doing quite fine, until SOMEONE interrupted."

"Well you know how I love to interrupt a good make-out session that could possibly turn into a sex scene that I don't want to see cause I'm lonely and my wife's all the way in Tampa.  Wow, that was long.  Seriously though, happy birthday.  You're getting old," he told her.

"Thanks… but if 22 is old, how ancient does that make 32?" she joked as he smacked her playfully on the knee.  His gaze softened as he reached down and pulled a gift bag out of his gym bag, which was resting on the floor in front of him.  "Here, this is for you," he said, handing her the large bag.

"Aw, thanks Chris!" she squealed, accepting the gift.  She pulled the card out, going to open the envelope, but Chris stopped her.

"Open the card last," he instructed.  She nodded, reaching into the bag, and began to pull out gifts.  There sure as hell were a lot of them… clothes, CDs, a few pairs of earrings.

"Jess picked out the clothes… and the earrings… and the CDs too, actually.  You know I don't do rap.  Okay, so she really picked out everything.  But I paid for it all," he said, smiling proudly as she laughed at him.

"You mean you didn't pick out this adorable skirt for me?" she asked, pretending to be shocked.

"Okay, now do the card," he told her, watching her tear open the envelope.  Britney gave Chris a puzzled look as she pulled out not one card, but two.  He pointed to the one card, gesturing for her to open that one first.  She found his behavior a little odd, but then again, he was Chris.  He was always up to something.  Opening the card, she quickly scanned it, and then read the bottom where it was signed,

"_Happy Birthday Brit!  Love, Jess.  P.S.  Chris wouldn't let me put my name on his card, but I DID pick out the stuff, so I think I deserve some credit.  I can't wait to see you again.  Anyway, I hope you like the stuff.  Have a great day girl!"_

"Aw, how sweet," Britney remarked, gazing fondly at the card.  Chris's wife Jessica was a sweetheart, and the two women went shopping and hung out whenever they got the chance.

"Yeah, yeah.  Now open mine," he said, pointing to his card.  _He must be really proud of it or something.  Something's probably going to jump out at me._  She was proved wrong when she opened the card to find a lengthy message written inside.

_Britney,_

_It's your birthday!!  PARTY TIME!  Seriously though, I thought today would be a good day for me to be serious (gasp!) and tell you just what I think of you.  From the day I met you, I was instantly hooked.  You were an amazing, funny, intelligent girl… and at the time you were only 18.  You were so smart, and so wise beyond your years, and that really drew me to you.  Having a smart, funny, beautiful, easy-going girl in a business like this is a rarity, and I'm so glad that you decided to join the company after all.  You and I have always had great times together, and we can always make each other smile.  I know things have gotten a little weird over the past year with all the shit that's been happening with you, and that I tried to turn into someone I wasn't around you.  I was afraid of where everything was going, but now I'm realizing I had no reason to be.  You're still, four years and whole lot of shit later, the same girl that all of us fell in love with.  As much as I hated seeing you hurt so much over the past year, it has definitely brought us closer, and I'm glad for that.  You've honestly become one of my best friends.  I feel like I can talk to you about anything, and hopefully you feel the same.  I'd hope after all of our "incidents," you know that you can come to me.  I think you proved that the night you came and stayed with me.  As much as I was upset that you and Adam weren't talking, I was glad you came to me, glad to know that you trust me.  And I'm so happy for you and Adam.  You guys are gonna get married and be together forever and have like 60 kids!  Ha ha, maybe not, but who knows?  You have to move to Tampa, so that when me and Adam are fat, old and ugly, there can still be two blond Canadians and their gorgeous blonde wives.  Anyway, I just want you to know that if there's ever ANYTHING you feel like you can't go to Adam or anyone with, I want you to come to me.  I'm ALWAYS here for you.  I know I may not be as cool as my wife, but I'm a good listener.  I really do cherish our friendship, Brit.  I want you to always, always remember that.  I love ya kid, and Happy Birthday._

_Love always,_

_Chris_

Tears were sliding down her cheeks by the time she finished reading.  That was probably the best gift Chris, or anyone, could have given her.

"Wow, Chris, I… oh, thank you so much," she said, moving into his embrace.

"Your very welcome.  I meant every single word of it too.  You're an amazing person, Brit, whether or not you choose to realize it.  I love you like the little sister I never had," he told her, gently running his hand up and down her back.  Britney sighed contentedly against him.

Sniffling a little, she gazed up at him, asking, "Does that mean I'm stuck with you forever?"

The response was, "Oh yes.  Forever and ever and ever and… well, just forever.  Unless I walk in on you guys a few more times… Adam might kill me before forever arrives."  Britney said nothing, just enjoying being with one of her best friends.  She was enjoying life for the moment, something she hadn't done is so long.  She was finally beginning to get things.

"Forever," she thought out loud, and Chris wasn't sure if she meant to say it or not.  "That has a nice ring to it."

LATER THAT NIGHT 

"Come on, your surprise is ready!" Adam called into the locker room Amy and Britney were sharing.

"Alright, I'm coming!" she said, stepping out and revealing one of the shirts and tops that Chris and Jess had given her.  Adam couldn't keep his jaw from dropping at the sight of her.

"Wow, you look… absolutely beautiful," he said, eyeing her appreciatively.

"Um… thanks," she said, cheeks getting a little rosy.  It was adorable, the way she got all embarrassed whenever he complimented her.  Taking her hand in his, he led her down the hall, both of them waving as they saw John Cena walking down the hall in the other direction.

"So, are you ready to be surprised?" he asked, playful gleam lighting up his green eyes.  Britney grinned, looking up at him.

"I hope so.  This day has already been so perfect… and I've already gotten so many gifts," she commented.

It was true, the blonde had received a ton of gifts from everyone.  Chris, Jay, Stephanie, Amy, the Hardys, Kurt, Mark, Vince, Benoit, John, and all the divas had bought her some kind of gift.  Nearly everyone had gotten her at least a card, and Adam had given her a huge pile of gifts in the morning at the hotel.  It was pretty overwhelming.  The only thing that was missing was Shane, who told Britney that her gift was being sent to her.  He called her in the morning and explained that he was overwhelmingly busy in Stamford and that there was just no way he could make it.  It was a shame, but Britney understood the importance of her cousin getting all of his work done, especially the day of a pay-per-view.  But now Adam said he had a surprise for her, on top of all the things he'd already given her.  The couple turned into a room, where Britney saw Chris, Matt, Amy, Jeff, Trish, Jay, Kurt… and one HUGE box.

"Woah, that box is like… three times my size," she commented, staring in awe at the huge thing.  Even though she was a considerably rich girl, she was just as excited to receive new gifts as anyone else.

"Wait… do you guys ALL know what's in this?" she asked, eyeing her friends suspiciously.

"Maybe," Kurt said, grinning widely.

"We just want to see the look on your face when you open it!" Amy said, laughing as she rested her head on Matt's shoulder.

"In other words… we know and you don't!" Jay said in a sing-songy voice.

"Alright kids, knock it off.  Open the damn gift already!" Adam said, nudging her over to the large box.  He couldn't keep that stupid grin off of his face… he was really proud of what he'd done.  Britney stared at the gift for a moment before tearing at the wrapping paper.  When she came to a cardboard box, she peeled the packaging tape off.  She opened the side of the box, which was almost an inch taller than she was.

"Hey baby girl."

"SHANE!" she yelled ecstatically, jumping into his arms.  Her cousin picked her up off the floor, swinging her around before placing her back on the floor.

"Happy birthday!" he said, winking at Adam as he pulled her in for another hug.

"Thank you!  I thought you were like, incredibly busy!" she said.

"I am.  Which is why I can only stay for about a ½ hour.  I just couldn't miss my baby cousin's birthday," he told her sincerely.  The two embraced for a long moment before Chris cut in on yet another hallmark moment.

"Aww, how cute.  I think I might puke," he said, rolling his eyes jokingly.

"Oh, go away assclown," Shane said, letting go of Britney.

"How the hell did you guys wrap the box after he was in it?" Britney asked everyone.

"Confidential information," Matt said.

"Yeah," Jeff added.  "If we told you, we'd have to kill you."

"Alright, we've got a ½ hour… let's make the most of it," Adam said.

About 45 minutes later, Britney and Shane had said their goodbyes and Shane was back off to Stamford.  The room was now empty, with people off getting ready for their matches.  The only people left were Britney and Jay.  Britney didn't have a match on the card, and Jay never got ready until the last minute.

"So, are you ready for your match?" she asked as they sat back on the couch.

"Of course, Ms. McMahon.  You know how I love to kick your boyfriends pretty little ass!" he replied grinning.

"Ha, ha.  Very funny, Mr. Reso.  Although I do agree that my boyfriend has a pretty little ass, I think my uncle told me that you wouldn't be doing anything.  Lance is the one pinning my boyfriend, not YOU," she said, grinning triumphantly.

"Yeah, well… so what?" he muttered, sticking his tongue out at her.

"So anyway, what do you think of your birthday so far?" he asked curiously.  Her grin widened.

"It's been great… absolutely perfect.  I don't think I've ever had such a great birthday before," she replied happily.

Jay grinned as well, "That's wonderful.  You still have one more surprise left, though."  Britney eyed him questioningly… he had to know.  He was Adam's best friend, so Adam must have at least told him.

"Jay, you know what it is!  Ooh, tell me please!!  Or just give me a hint or a clue or SOMETHING!" she begged, tugging on his arm.

Sending her a shocked look, he gasped, "Ms. McMahon, I'm shocked!  How could you even THINK I'd expel such information to you!  How could you think I'd just TELL you my best friend's secrets?"

Britney sighed, "Because you love me?"

"This is true," he said, laughing as he saw her eyes widen hopefully.  It was going to be fun torturing her.  "But not enough… I'm still not telling," he said sternly, crossing his arms in the process.

"But Jay…"

"No but Jays.  If I told you, there'd be no surprise, and then I'D get in trouble cause I'm the only one who knew so I'm the only one who could tell you!  If YOU loved ME, you wouldn't do such a thing," he informed her knowingly.

"Oh fine.  I guess I'll just have to be surprised… I hate you Jay," she said, giving up the hopeless battle.

Sighing, Jay put his arm around her, drawing her close.  "No you don't.  Happy birthday Ms. McMahon," he whispered, tickling her ear with his warm breath.  She smiled.

"Thank you Mr. Reso.  It definitely has been one hell of a happy birthday."

LATE THAT NIGHT 

"Adam, I don't believe you did that…thank you so much," Britney said as they headed towards their hotel room hand in hand.

"You're welcome, but it was really nothing," he said, flashing her a proud grin.

"Nothing my ass!" she cried.  "It was amazing… like something out of a fairy tale or something."  She recalled what had happened with they arrived at the place where her surprise was

Earlier that night 

_"Okay, we're here now, let me walk you to the right spot," Adam said, jumping out of the car and heading to the passenger seat.  Opening the door, he took her hand and helped her out, checking to see that the blindfold he'd placed on her was still in place._

_Noticing her shiver slightly, he questioned her, "Are you okay?"_

_She nodded, "Yeah, I'm just a little cold."_

_Adam eyed his girlfriend for a moment. He understood why she was cold… she was wearing a tiny tank top and a short skirt.  Even though it was late July, it was an especially cool night in Detroit.  Upon her answer, Adam slid his jacket off, wrapping it around her.  He kept his arm around her shoulders as he led her to the designated spot.  They walked for awhile, so far that Britney wondered if the Canadian was walking her in circles._

_"Babe, we've been walking for a really long time.  Are you sure you know where we're going?" she said, wondering what in hell he was up to._

_"We're almost there sweetheart, I promise," he assured her.  Adam had led his girlfriend way into a secluded area of a city park that was right on the lake.  Finally, they reached the spot._

_After checking to make sure everything was still right, Adam said to Britney, "Alright, we're here.  You can take the blindfold off."  Cautiously sliding off the blindfold, Britney gasped._

_"Oh my God, Adam… what is this?" she asked, amazed.  There was a blanket resting on a small hill, with a little basket and two wine glasses sitting on top.  The lake, which was about fifty feet away, shimmered under the moonlight… and the 100 some candles that lined up to the bank._

_"Well, I wanted to do something special for you," the blonde man told her.  "So I tried to think of all the things that make you calm and happy.  I know you love nighttime, that's why we're here now.  I know you love the ocean, but we're in Detroit, so I made a compromise with the lake.  I know you like wine, and I know you love candles.  I figured this way I could pile all the things you love into one night."_

_"And you managed to squeeze yourself into this picture too," she commented, still smiling widely._

_"Of course," he said laughing._

_"Wow… this is wonderful, Adam.  Thank you so much," she said in disbelief.  _I must be the luckiest girl in the world, _she thought as Adam led her over and sat them down on the blanket._

_"Adam?" Britney said, snuggling up close to him, enjoying the scent of his cologne.  "Not to ruin the mood or anything, but is this legal?  I mean, we're not going to get, like, arrested if we're seen here are we?"_

_Adam laughed, "Actually, the first guy I talked to wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but his boss, a park manager I guess, recognized me.  A few autographs later and I was staking out the land."  Britney nodded, impressed._

_She remained silent, savoring the scenery and the company.  The two of them sat for a long while in complete silence, enjoying every moment of it.  Finally, Britney spoke again, "I just want to thank you again, for everything.  Between all the gifts, Shane coming to see me, and now this… it's been perfect.  This has been the best birthday I've ever had…thank you so much, for everything.  I-I… I didn't deserve all this."_

_Adam grinned brightly, "Yes you do.  You deserve everything I've ever given you.  I don't think you realize how much I love you, or how I just want you to be so happy.  I don't want to lose you, so I'll do anything and everything in my power to make you want to stay."_

_"Like I'd ever leave," Britney replied.  The thought alone scared the shit out of her.  "I owe you my life," she continued.  "You've always been there to pick me up when I fall, which happens quite a lot.  You saved me from all the shit I was going through, and you protect me from it when it starts to come back.  I-I… I owe you everything.  One day, I'm gonna give it all back Adam, I swear.  I'm now sure how or when, but I'll do it."_

_"But you do give it all back…every single day.  I get to wake up next to you, share stuff with you that no one else knows, see sides of you that no one else gets to see.  All that means the world to me.  I love you, and I love being with you," he told her honestly.  Britney gazed up at him.  _I love you, I love you, I love you.  _The thought replayed over and over again in her mind, but she still couldn't say it.  No matter how much it was drilled into her brain, it wasn't registering in her mouth.  She knew he understood though, and THAT meant the world to her._

_As he kissed her softly, she responded, "I wish Stephanie didn't already take the name Billion Dollar Princess, cause I definitely feel like one right now."_

_Adam laughed, "Screw the Billion Dollar Princess.  You're MY Princess."  The Canadian smiled as his girlfriend brought her kips up to his to meet for a kiss._

Alright, here's the next chapter.  PLEASE, please, PLEASE, let me know what you think.  I really like getting reviews on this story!


	23. Part 22

PART 22

THAT SAME NIGHT

 "Needless to say, it turned out to be a perfect night," Britney concluded as Adam fumbled around in his pockets for the key to their room.  He finally found it, sliding it into the door and pushing it open.  

"Well I'm glad.  That means I did something right for once," he told her, holding the door open and allowing her to step in.  She shrugged out of her boyfriend's jacket, leaving it on one of the chairs.  She turned to Adam, whose arms instantly encircled her waist.  

"I'm going to get changed," she said, gazing up at him.  When he nodded, she stood up on her toes, placing a kiss on his lips.  When she turned to walk away, Adam went to put the bottle of wine away in the refrigerator.  He was so happy that the day went as planned.  _For once, nothing went wrong.  That seems to be a pattern for me, but for once, everything went well-_

"ADAM!  COME IN HERE!"  

He knew that the thought was too good to be true.  He jumped when he heard Britney shriek, bolting into the bedroom like lightning, flinging the door open.  

"Brit, what the hell is… oh my God," he said, eyes widening at the sight.  

The room was completely ransacked… drawers ripped out, clothes flung everywhere, two of the three lamps were busted on the floor.  Adam took a minute to collect himself, still not believing what he was seeing.  

"He took my ring," Britney said softly, staring at the floor.  That morning, Adam had given her a beautiful set- diamond earrings, a bracelet, and a matching ring.  In all the excitement, Britney had forgotten to wear it to the arena----- and now it was gone.  Adam didn't even have to ask Britney who she thought the "he" was.  That damn Brock Lesnar.  _Why can't he just leave us the fuck alone?  _Sighing, Adam walked over and sat next to Britney on the edge of the bed.  Gently placing his hand on her back, the Canadian noticed that his girlfriend's eyes were filled with tears.  

"Baby, please don't cry," he said, wrapping his arm around her as she buried her face into his chest.  

"I'm so sorry Adam," she sobbed.  "This is all my fault.  I ruined this perfect day… I'm sorry."  

Adam shook his head, "No it isn't, and don't let yourself think that for a second.  Besides, we can't even be sure it was Brock.  I mean, for all we know it could be…"  

"It was him, Adam.  I know it was," she said.  Just as the blonde man was about to ask her how she was so sure, she handed him a crumpled piece of paper.  

"This… it was definitely him.  I'm sorry," she told him.  Adam was confused by her statement, but went ahead and opened up the paper.  Adam couldn't help but gasp at the sight.  

"Holy shit," he murmured, eyeing it in horror.  

It was a picture of a man, with red slashes marked in his chest and wrists.  They were made in red paint, or nail polish… and it was made to look like blood.  Across the man's stomach, scrawled in the same red, were the words, "Happy Birthday Britney."  It was a horrible picture, but the drawn-on blood and the statement on the man weren't what got to Adam.  What DID get him was the face that HE was the man in the picture.

IN THE PARKING LOT 

    Paul Heyman grinned evilly from his rental car.  He had strategically parked where he could see right into Britney and Adam's hotel room.  He saw the little blonde go into the bedroom to get changed.  For a moment, he almost wished the room wasn't destroyed, so he could get a glimpse of the young McMahon changing.  But still, it was very amusing to see her eyes widen in horror.  After walking around the room in disbelief, he saw her bend down and pick up the picture.  That was when she screamed.  Within seconds, her big bad boyfriend was in for the rescue, at her side instantly.  Paul's smug face grew even more satisfied when Britney showed Adam the picture.  The Canadian looked like he saw a ghost.  "Wait till Brock hears all of this," he said to himself.  He sat and waited about twenty minutes, as the two sat and talked, most likely about what had just transpired.  Heyman was about to get out of the car and head into the hotel, when he noticed that the two were kissing.  It was very gentle at first, but then the blonde man became more demanding.  Paul's eyes widened instantly, and he reclined back in his seat, deciding that the show wasn't over.  Paul jumped when he heard a noise.  Looking around quickly, the former ECW owner decided that there was no around.  He sat back and focused on the couple.  In the seconds that he had turned and darted his eyes around, Adam's shirt had come off and he was now laying on top of Britney.  

"Oh boy," Heyman murmured, "things are certainly starting to… heat up."  

Suddenly there was a loud bang on his window, jerking him to attention.  Heyman turned to meet the accusing gaze of Chris Irvine.  

"Roll down your fucking window!" he yelled.  

Paul slowly complied, noticing that Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus were with him.  

"H-hi Chris.  Can I help you?" he asked nonchalantly, hoping no one would notice what he was up to.  

"What the hell are you doing?" Chris asked, sticking his head in the window.  

"Um, nothing.  Nothing at all.  Um, uh… hey Jeff.  Hello Miss Trish.  How are we feeling?" he asked trying to change the subject.  

Chris answered for the diva, "Don't answer him Trish.  Stop being cute Heyman.  A slime ball like you doesn't just sit out in a parking lot alone at night for no reason.  I suggest you spill it, NOW."  

"I really don't know what you're talking about…"  

"Oh my God.  Chris, look," Trish spoke up, gesturing to one of the windows.  Both Chris and Jeff looked up to where the tiny blonde was pointing, and they gasped.  From where they were located, you could see directly into the room where Britney and Adam were staying.  You could also see that they were in the middle of some pretty heavy action.  

"You're WATCHING them!  You DISGUSTING little sleaze!  What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Chris screamed, sending him an icy glare.  

"W-what?  Have you been drinking?" Paul asked, becoming afraid as Chris stepped closer and closer.  

"Not enough," the Canadian said through gritted teeth.  "You little prick.  Those are two of my best friends up there, and what you are doing is STALKING… it's against the law you bastard!  There's a fucking law AGAINST it!"  Jericho glanced up, watching Adam stand and close the drapes.  Thank God he had done that.

"U-uh, um, well, I… I think there's been a slight misunderstanding…"  

"Oh, fuck off Heyman!  I KNOW you were spying on them, and I KNOW that Brock sent you out on this little escapade.  If you get off on watching people, buy a fucking porno you loser.  And you can bet your fat ass that I'll tell Britney and Adam just what you were up to the next time I see them!"  Deciding he would ending up killing Paul if they stuck around any longer, Chris turned to walk away.  

"Jeez, I just wanted to see if the little slut looked like Brock said she did in action," Paul mumbled under his breath.  

He thought no one heard, but he knew he was wrong when he saw Chris freeze, tightly clenching his fists.  Before Heyman could react, Chris turned and nailed him in the jaw, knocking the smug look right off of his ugly face.  Reaching into the car, Chris grabbed Heyman's face, forcing him to make eye contact with him.  

"Listen to me you fat fuck," he growled in a dangerously low tone.  "If I catch you at this again, or even if I so much as HEAR you call Britney a slut again, they will need dental records to identify your body when I'm done with it."  With that said, the former Undisputed Champion walked away in a disgusted huff.  

Trish followed quickly after, suddenly feeling the need for a hot shower.  Paul rubbed his chin painfully. When he turned his head, he met the fierce green eyes of Jeff Hardy.  At a loss for words, Heyman simply stared.  Shaking his head, the green haired Hardy walked away.  

"And people say I'm a freak."

THE NEXT DAY- RAW 

"He did WHAT?" Adam asked incredulously.  He must have heard wrong.  

"You heard me," Chris said quietly.  "I saw in his car, in the parking lot.  He… he was… watching you guys."  Adam felt his face growing red------ of embarrassment, of disbelief, but mostly of sheer anger.  

"That fucking scumbag!  Oh God, he WATCHED us?  Like, SPIED on us while we were in our hotel room?!  Oh my God, what the hell kind of shit is that?" he thought out loud.  

"I'm sorry man, I really am.  I just had to tell you," Chris said apologetically.  When Adam didn't speak, Chris continued, sighing loudly, "He, um… he said he wanted to see if what Brock said about Britney 'in action' was true.  He, he called her a little slut.  I, uh… I nailed him for that."  

Adam was about two seconds away from bursting when he heard that.  _Oh, just wait till I get my hands around his fat neck._

"Well, thanks for that.  The piece of shit deserved it.  Um, thanks, I think… for telling me, I mean.  Just… don't mention any of this to Brit.  We had a, uh… well, I just don't think she could handle it.  She doesn't need to know," Adam said. 

He almost told Chris what had happened the night before that, but he just couldn't.  He couldn't shake the thought of that little sleaze watching them from his car while they were in their hotel room.  What if he hadn't pulled those shades over?  The asshole would have seen the whole entire thing!  Adam's blood was boiling.  Suddenly, he stood, realizing he would not be satisfied until he took out his aggression.  

"Woah, where are you going?" Chris asked.  

"Going to stomp the shit out of Heyman," Adam scowled, but Chris grabbed his arm.  

"No.  Adam, that won't do any good.  You have every right to be absolutely livid, but if you hunt him down now you'll just cause more problems then there already are," Chris warned.  

"FUCK all that Chris!  I don't fucking care anymore!  I'm sick of looking out for everyone else's best interest!  I'm doing this for Britney, and that BASTARD deserves EVERY fucking thing he's going to get!  Did you not HEAR what you just said to me?  He SPIED on us in our fucking HOTEL ROOM, where we should not have to worry about other people seeing our private business!  He SPIED on us Chris, and if you weren't there and had I not pulled the curtains over, he would have got off on the whole thing!  I personally don't give a fuck what other problems I'll cause!" he screamed, more loudly than he liked.  

"I know, I know," Chris said.  "But you know someone else was behind this.  Don't waste your energy on Heyman.  Maybe we should go to Vince, and…"  

"And what?  Tell him that Paul Heyman was sitting in his car while I was having sex with his niece?  You know Vince, he'd probably BLAME me for leaving the goddamn curtain open!  Yeah Chris, lets just go tell him in detail about me fucking his niece!  He'll LOVE that!  The worst Heyman would get for that is a slap on his fat fucking wrist," Adam interrupted.  He was absolutely seething.  How the hell did Heyman have the balls to watch him and Britney while they were alone, and about to----- ugh, it was utterly disgusting!  

"Okay, well than at least let ME handle Heyman," Chris insisted, to which Adam firmly shook his head.  

"Which makes me the pussy.  If I don't personally do anything to him, Paul Heyman will be getting away with what he did.  I know Brock put him up to this, but that only pisses me off even more.  I won't let them fuck with us anymore, especially not with Britney.  Last night will be the closest he EVER gets to her, EVER.  I need to start defending her better, Chris.  It seems like everyone else is defending my girlfriend except me.  First Jay got in a fight with Brock for her, then Shane threatened his job, and now you nail his lackey.  Sure Brock and I had a fight, but it didn't even last a minute.  It's time for me to start defending the honor of my girlfriend, cause that's obviously what this is all about.  No more letting people fight my battles.  There's no way I'll let Heyman get away with what he did to me and Britney.  I'll handle this one myself."

TBC

Adam's such a determined soul.  LOL, by the way, I thought Jeff's comment, ("And people say I'm a freak.") was very clever and definitely something he would say.  LOL, just thought I'd share that.  LOL, please let me know what you think!


	24. Part 23

Part 23

****

JULY 23, 2002- SMACKDOWN

Britney walked down the hallway alone, heading towards the women's locker room so she could get changed.  Hearing a noise, Britney jerked around suddenly, checking for anything that could have made it.  She saw nothing, so she continued walking.  _My mind is playing tricks on me again.  _Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her lip-gloss, applying it generously to her lips.  When she went to put it away, she accidentally missed her pocket, dropping it on the floor.  The tiny blonde bent down to pick it up, and when she straightened up, she gasped----- Paul Heyman was standing directly in front of her.

An evil, angry smirk was on his round face.  "Hey Britney," he said tauntingly.

"H-hi Paul," she said quickly, moving to push past him.  That man really unnerved her.  When she was with Brock, that man was always there, constantly prying into their business… he usually got what he came for, too.  As she tried to walk past him, Heyman grabbed her.

"And just WHERE do you think you're off to so quickly?" he asked, gripping her arm tightly.

Trying to break free from his grasp, she replied, "I, I'm busy.  I really have to go."  She struggled to free herself, but he only gripped her arm tighter.  "Ow!  Paul, stop!  You're hurting me… get the fuck off of me!" she cried, stopping abruptly when he shoved her painfully up against the wall.

"I think you're just fine where you are.  Now, I want you to look at me, Britney.  Tell me, do you know what this is?" he asked, pointing to his upper right cheek.

Britney stammered, "Y-you, you have a black eye."

Heyman smirked, "That's right.  And do you know WHERE this black eye came from?"  The young woman shook her head.  "THIS black eye," he said, pulling her closer, "came from your pretty little boyfriend."

Britney raised an eyebrow… Adam hadn't said anything about Paul Heyman all day.  "W-well, maybe that's something you oughta take up with him," Britney suggested.

Paul's face turned into a scowl.  "I would, but it just so happens to be YOUR fault.  If your pretty blonde boyfriend didn't feel such a need to protect you and your honor, he wouldn't have manhandled me," Heyman spat.

Britney couldn't think of why Adam would hit Paul, but it was safe to say that if it had something to do with her than he probably deserved it.  She also decided that Paul Heyman was not going to cop an attitude with her without getting one thrown back in his face.

"Um, first of all, you weren't 'manhandled.'  You have a black eye for Christ's sake.  Secondly, I don't know why Adam hit you, but I'm sure you pulled some sleaze bag stunt to deserve it," she told him boldly.

"You little bitch," he growled.  He reached back and swung, slapping her hard, right across the cheek.  He shoved her roughly back up against the wall, speaking in her ear, "Brock was right.  You need to learn to keep your fucking mouth shut, you worthless little whore."  He turned and stalked away, leaving her to slump down the wall, tears finally pressing at her eyes.

She didn't know what hurt more, Heyman slapping her and calling her a whore, or the fact that she was even allowing it to bother her.  She choked out a large sob, bringing her knees up to her chest, burying her face in them.  She sat alone, hating herself for crying.  She continued to do so, until she felt a hand on her arm.

"Britney?  Are you okay?"

She looked up to see two men –Dwayne Johnson and Jonathan Coachman- kneeling in front of her.  The two men were walking by, going over a promo for the show, when they saw Britney sitting on the floor.  Upon seeing her in tears, Dwayne grew concerned.

"Honey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.  Britney shook her head, rocking back and forth gently.

"Do you want me to go find Adam?" Coach asked, thinking maybe Britney would feel better if she could see her boyfriend.

She shook her head again, "No, no.  But do you think you find Chris Jericho for me?"

Coach smiled softly, "Of course.  I'll be right back with him."

The young McMahon thanked Coach as he stood and left in search of the King of the World.  Dwayne turned to Britney again, eyeing her momentarily.  "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine Dwayne.  Really."

Dwayne nodded, though he wasn't too sure he believed her.  She was obviously crying, and he had never seen her do that before.  He was finally starting to truly believe what Mark had told him awhile ago.  He noticed her cheek was red too, like it had just been scratched or slapped.  Dwayne only hoped that Brock Lesnar had nothing to do with it.

LATER THAT AFTERNOON 

Jay was tossing some of his gear around, trying to find his CD player.  Suddenly remembering that he left it at the hotel, he cursed in the empty locker room.  He stood, turning to leave, bumping into a large mass of muscle.

"Hi Jay," Paul Levesque said, crossing his massive arms over his chest.

"What do you want?" Jay asked, rolling his eyes.  Ever since the "anniversary from hell," Jay had done everything in his power to avoid Levesque, just as Adam did with Brock.  He wasn't exactly on top of the list of guys that Jay liked.

"Calm down man.  Just wanted to know how the lady's doing, that's all," Paul replied nonchalantly, as if they talked on a daily basis.

"Stephanie is fine, and I'd like you to stop worrying about us.  What goes on between us is our concern, not yours.  Besides, I think you've already done enough to try and fuck up our relationship," Jay snorted.

"Damn Jay, I'm sensing a little hostility here.  Don't worry, man.  She dumped ME, remember?  I never stopped loving her, so excuse me for at least caring enough about her happiness to wonder about how… or who, she's doing," Paul shot back.

"Bullshit," Jay retorted, sending the Game a cold glare.

"What is THAT supposed to mean?" Levesque demanded.

Jay sighed, "It MEANS that from what Steph has told me, you weren't exactly the perfect boyfriend, and I would believe her over your sorry ass any day, especially after what you pulled on our anniversary.  And don't deny doing it, cause I KNOW you were behind it.  I don't like you _Trips_, and I never will."

Paul's smirk turned into an angry, Triple H-like glare.  "Oh, the feeling's mutual, trust me.  Lets just say I'm not fond of you stealing my girl…"

"She's not YOUR girl!  Please don't even give me that Brock Lesnar bullshit about how I stole something from you, cause I really don't need it!  You two seriously need to get your heads checked!" Jay cried, beginning to become very angry.

"Why would you even bring Brock into this conversation?" Paul asked, cocky grin reappearing.

"Don't get cute, Paul.  I know you two are up to something.  I'm not sure what it is, but I, along with many other people, know that you two are up to no good," Jay quipped.

Paul snorted, "Well, aren't you a clever one."

"Yeah, I am.  And while we're on the subject, I'd strongly advise you to stay away from Britney and Stephanie.  If either one of them gets hurt in any way-"

"Oh, stop with the damn threats Jay.  You and you're buddy Copeland are WAY too much alike," Paul said.  Jay finally pushed past him and headed to the door.

"You know, you're right.  We DO have a lot in common.  We BOTH love our girlfriends and we'll BOTH defend them till the death," he said, opening the door and leaving.

Paul laughed, mumbling after him.  "You're on."

LATE THAT NIGHT 

Adam splashed some water on his face, and then grabbed a towel and dried off.  He opened the bathroom door, walking into the bedroom.  His eyes traveled over to his Britney, who was sitting up in the bed, staring blankly at the TV.  When she heard the bathroom door shut, she looked up at him.  Immediately, he could tell something was wrong… she had that lost gaze in her eyes.  The Canadian slowly made his way to the bed, thinking of how to approach her.  She had barely spoken two words all day.  He was beginning to worry.

"Baby," he said, sitting next to her.  "What's the matter?"

She gazed up at him, absentmindedly answering, "Nothing, why?"

Adam sighed, he knew it was going to be difficult to get her to talk about this… whatever it was.  "I know something's up.  Please tell me," Adam requested, settling back next to her.

"Why the hell do you think something's wrong?" she asked.

"Brit, you haven't said a word to me all day… either you're mad at me or something's up.  I'd like to know what it is either way.  Besides, I KNOW you.  I can tell whether or not you're okay just by looking at you," he said.

"God… you sound like Shane," she retorted, rolling her eyes at him.  Adam sighed… she always got so defensive when she was upset.

"Maybe so.  But still, I know when something's wrong… and something's wrong.  Please tell me what's going on," he said in a slightly pleading tone.

She didn't answer.  Adam waited and waited, but the tiny blonde didn't say a word.  Adam glanced down at her, noticing the tears building in her eyes… she was crying again.  The Canadian's heart dropped as he moved in closer, wrapping his arm around her.

"Honey, don't cry… please.  Just tell me what happened," he requested again.

"It… it was Paul.  Paul Heyman," she choked out.  Adam felt his stomach drop way out of his body.  She must have found out from someone.  She knew.

_Oh shit.  Chris must have told her.  Damn it, this is going to crush her.  _He hoped to God that Chris hadn't told her about Heyman's little rendezvous.

"I-I… I," he stuttered, at a complete loss for words.  He suddenly wished he'd done more than give Heyman a black eye.

"He… he slapped me.  He h-held me up against the wall and told me you gave him a black eye," she said, catching Adam completely off guard.  What?  "He told me it was my fault… that you 'manhandled' him.  That's how he said it.  Of course, my big mouth got the best of me again, and I got myself hurt AGAIN," she said sadly, bowing her head in disappointment.  Adam stomach returned to his body, and he felt his blood pressure rising rapidly.

"He did what?  I'll kill him.  If that fat fuck thinks that black eye is painful, he's got another thing coming.  You know what… shit, I'm so sorry.  This is all my fault.  I should have known he'd go after you, cause God knows he wouldn't be a man and come back up to me," Adam said.

"It… its okay, I think.  I mean, even if you did hit him, it gives him no right to come after me.  But still… I want to know.  Why did you do it?" she asked, wondering exactly what Paul did to deserve that black eye.  Adam sighed, running his free hand through his blonde hair.

"I, well… you see… trust me, he deserved it.  I just… I did what I had to do, Brit," he told her.  He just didn't have the heart to tell her the whole story, as it was obvious now that she didn't know.

Britney wasn't satisfied with his response.  "Well, did he do something to you?  Was it about the picture?  Or what?  I won't be mad at you, trust me.  I just want to know why," she said plainly, gazing up at him.

_"Mad" is the least of my worries.  Shit…  _"Look Brit, lets just say it was a whole mess of things all piled into one.  It was partly because of the picture, partly because of something else, and partly because the son of a bitch has had it coming for a long time.  And after what you told me, I'm thinking its already time for a flat out ass kicking real soon," Adam said defensively.

He frowned as he saw that she didn't seem to be paying attention.  Her mind had shifted, and as usual, Adam was curious.  "What is it?" he asked.

"He called me a… a worthless whore.  And said that Brock was right… about me not knowing when to keep my mouth shut.  I… I don't know why, but when he called me a whore… it hurt.  I didn't think a comment from Paul Heyman would really bother me, but when I actually heard it out of his mouth… it hurt," she admitted.  Adam placed his hand under her chin, shifting her gaze to his eyes.  He gazed at her lovingly.

"I'm sure it hurt… whether or not we like to admit it, that stuff does kinda hurt.  But remember, what Heyman says and thinks doesn't matter.  What anybody thinks doesn't matter.  All that really matters is what you and I think.  I don't know about you, but I happen to think that Heyman is full of shit.  I think you area beautiful, inside and out.  You amaze me every day with your beauty.  It's safe to say that you, Princess, are NOT a whore… you're far from one.  Don't ever let Brock or Paul Heyman or ANYONE make you think differently.  You're an amazing person Britney.  I wouldn't have fallen in love with you if you weren't.  Don't ever forget that… or I'll just have to remind you every day for the rest of your life."

When he finished his statement, he gazed down into her eyes again.  Some sort of transformation had undergone on her face.  The frown was gone-----so were the tears.  Adam grinned warmly when he saw Britney do something she hadn't done in nearly two days… she smiled.

TBC

It was brought to my attention that I should separate the dialogue and the rest of the words and well, they were right.  LOL, sorry about the rest of it being so hard to read.  If I get a chance, I'll go back and fix all the other parts too.  Sorry about all that!  LOL, anyway, let me know what you think!


	25. Part 24

PART 24

AUGUST 15, 2002

Dwayne Johnson headed toward the locker room area in search of Adam.  He had to speak with him about their match that night.  Finally reaching the locker room he was looking for, he pushed the door open and made his way in.  He nodded hello to Matt Hardy and Billy Kidman, spotting Adam in the back of the room

"Adam," he called, making his way over to him.  The Canadian looked up, grabbing a seat against the wall as he responded,

"Hey Dwayne.  I heard we're teaming up tonight."  Dwayne nodded, sitting next to him.

"Yup.  Main event too, against Benoit and Guerrero," he added.

"Cool.  Should be a hell of a match," Adam said, sorting some of his things out.

Dwayne sighed, "You're right, it will be.  But, um, that's not really why I came in here.  I… I need to talk to you."

Adam raised an eyebrow, "Oh… okay… what's up then?"  Dwayne sighed again, rubbing his eyes before speaking.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, I'm facing Brock Lesnar this Sunday at Summerslam.  And seeing as how this is the last show before a pay-per-view, we have to have some sort of confrontation," the Great One explained.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with me," Adam lied, hoping that Dwayne wouldn't notice that he was already turning red at the thought of standing in the same ring as that bastard.  However, the Undisputed Champion saw right through the act, just by the way the Canadian grunted at the mention of Lesnar's name.

"Look Adam, I know the two of you have major ass problems with each other okay?  I just want to make sure nothing happens in the ring tonight that isn't written into the show.  I also figured that I should remind that your girlfriend will be in your corner, cause Brock will be coming out there," Dwayne said, watching Adam's eyes widen at the sudden realization.

"Let him lay a finger on her… I'll kill him.  Maybe we can work a… wait a minute, how do you know about Brock and Britney?" he asked suspiciously.  Adam thought their circle of close friends were the only ones who knew what had happened.  Not that Adam didn't consider Dwayne a friend… he just wasn't really around when any of it was happening.

"Mark told me.  I-I wasn't snooping or anything, he just kinda showed up and told me what he knew."  Adam nodded in response, so Dwayne continued.  "So anyway, I know that this could be a segment with a whole lot of tension, so I'm doing my best to minimize it.  This is what we're going to do.  After we win, we jump up, shake hands, raise arms.  After that, don't waste time… just hop out of the ring, grab Britney, and get the hell away from the ring.  You should be headed up the ramp just as he gets to the bottom."

"No, we don't need to do all that.  I won't screw anything up, I promise.  Besides, the fans will know something's up if me and Brit just book ass right after the match.  We always hang around for a minute or two during commercial," Adam said, shaking his head.  Dwayne shook his head as well.

"Well, the Edgeheads will just have to suffer for one night.  I'm just trying to help the situation for everyone.  For the sake of the show, because the fans will be confused as hell if Edge and Brock have the intense stare down when it's supposed to be a Rock/Brock stare down.  For your sake, cause Lord knows the shit load of trouble you'd be in if you got in a fight on TV.  And most importantly, for Britney's sake, cause God knows she's not gonna want to be out there with him.  For everyone's sake, just do like I said, okay?" he pleaded, hoping the Canadian had enough sense to agree.  Adam was reluctant, but he went along with it… for Britney's sake.

"Fine.  Just don't mention this to Britney… as a matter of fact, don't even tell her he's coming out.  I'd rather just get her out of there confused than to have her worrying all day," he said, to which Dwayne nodded.  He stood and shook hands with the slightly younger man, satisfied with the outcome of their conversation.  _This show will go perfectly, whether Brock Lesnar likes it or not._

THAT NIGHT 

"Come on Edge!" Britney screamed, pounding on the ring apron.  She had been playing the role of his manager/valet for awhile now, even before they started going out.  Stephanie and the creative department decided they meshed well… and the fans ate it up.  She smiled as she heard the crowd chanting her name, as they often did when she was competing or simply valeting.  She shivered as she felt goosebumps cover her skin… it was a pretty cool feeling.  She got back into the match as the crowd did.  She began to watch more intently as she knew her spot was coming up soon.  She watched Rocky toss Chris Benoit over the top rope and on to the mat by the announcers' table.  Referee Mike Chioda turned his back to the ring to try and get the other two men back into the ring.  Meanwhile, Edge jumped to the top rope and flew off, attempting to knock Eddie Guerrero down with a cross body.  Latino Heat saw it though, and he flattened the four-time Intercontinental Champion onto the mat.  Britney's hands flew to her mouth as she watched Edge grimace in pain.  She cautiously checked to see if Chioda was still preoccupied… and then she went up.

"Referee Mike Chioda still a little tied up with Rock and Benoit, he doesn't see that Eddie Guerrero, who is the illegal man, stomping a hole in Edge.  He's really tearing into him," Michael Cole called into his headset from the announcers' table.  "You ain't kiddin.  Edge is just getting the hell beat out of him.  Really man, he's getting the snot kicked outta him and… hey, check out Britney!  She's gonna fly!"

Tazz called the match enthusiastically, gesturing to the diva as she climbed to the top rope.  She perched herself up there, waiting for Eddie Guerrero to make the mistake of turning around.  When he did, she flew, connecting to his face with a crisp missile dropkick.  The crowd went nuts as she slid out of the ring just as Chioda turned back in.  A few minutes later, the match was over, Edge and the Rock having won the bout.  Britney watched Dwayne raise Adam's arm, and the two men shook hands.  She went to slide in to join them, but she noticed Adam sliding out of the ring.  He grabbed her hand and started pulling her away from the ring.

As they started up the ramp, Britney questioned him, "What the hell are you doing?"

Still waving and sending everyone that huge Edge grin, he replied, "Don't worry.  Just come on."

Britney was confused but she walked with him anyway.  Suddenly, a huge blur of muscle shot past her, bumping into her and almost knocking her completely onto her back.  She straightened up, wondering why Adam's grip on her hand had tightened so much.  Looking up into the ring, she instantly realized why.  The big ball of muscle in the ring, who was currently fist-fighting with the Rock, was none other than Brock Lesnar.

THREE WEEKS LATER 

Stephanie sat in her hotel room with Matt, Amy, Britney, and Adam.  The five of them were waiting for Jay, who was in a meeting with Vince McMahon, to get back so they could decide on how they were going to spend their night off.  They were all hanging out, and the atmosphere was very mellow… until Jay stormed through the door.  He flung the door open, slammed it shut, stomped over to the group and threw himself down on the chair all in a huff.

"Wow… bad day?" Matt asked, cracking a smile.

"Fuck you," Jay retorted, sighing loudly.

"What happened babe?" Stephanie asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, as you know Steph, Levesque and Heyman butted into yet another production meeting and suggested that the UnAmericans should all look alike and that means Drew and I would get hair cuts.  Apparently, your father thinks that it would be a grand idea, so he told us we had to do it.  Drew wasn't too thrilled and said that he'd rather not.  Well, I told him to flat out fuck the idea up the ass… and he wasn't too happy.  He ranted and bitched for a half hour on how he should have never 'let Stephanie talk me into pushing such an ungrateful ass.'  Like I don't work my fucking ass off every damn week," Jay said bitterly.  He wished he just didn't go to the meeting altogether.  Scratch that, he wished Paul Levesque wasn't such an asshole.

"Why is it such a big deal?  To Vince, I mean.  What does he care if you keep your hair long.  I mean, he knows that storylines don't last forever, especially ones in this company.  So what's the big deal?" Britney asked, looking at Adam, who just shrugged.

"Because it was Levesque's idea, and Vince is his pigeon.  What Paulie says goes," Jay answered.  The others, even Britney and Stephanie, couldn't help but agree.

"But why the hell would Paul suggest that?  What would he gain from it?" Amy asked curiously.

"Lets just say he doesn't hold me in high regard, Red.  He's not too fond of some comments I made to him… and the fact the I'm with Steph.  You, uh… you could say our relationship is a slightly less hateful Adam and Brock.  He'd pretty much do whatever he could to hurt me or piss me off.  And he's succeeded, because now I'll be shoved back down to lower mid-card to rot yet again…"

"Jay, don't say that.  Everything will work out, I promise," Stephanie assured him.

He sent his girlfriend and the rest of his friends an uneasy half smile, "I sure hope so."


	26. Part 25

PART 25

OCTOBER 30, 2002

They had been together for over four months.  Brock couldn't believe it.  After all the shit he pulled, all the times he'd tried to tear them apart, they had stayed together.  And they were getting stronger by the day.  He could see how comfortable Britney was growing to be around him, and he could see Adam becoming more and more open with his touches and displays of affection.  It was making him sick, it was making him pissed, but more importantly… it was making him realize that he was failing.  Each day Britney grew closer to Adam she drifted further from him.  The same thing was happening to Paul and Stephanie because of Jay.  Brock was going crazy… they were losing.  He didn't know how much more lovey-dovey bullshit he could take.  Over the last two months, he and both Pauls had done everything in their power to scare them apart.  From what Heyman saw the night they had planted the first picture, it seemed to be working.  The picture of a bloody Adam definitely jolted the couple into realizing that it wasn't over.  They had planted even more like that as well… notes, roses, more pictures… it all seemed to have stopped working.  Nothing was working.  They couldn't tear Jay and Stephanie apart, they couldn't tear Britney and Adam apart.  All their plans to psyche the four out were bombing.  _But all that changes tonight,_ Brock thought.  What they had in store for that night was fool proof.  And it would most definitely have a profound effect on their relationship.  He had finally pinpointed the one thing… or person… that would get to Adam no matter what.  And they had a way of making it look like Britney did the whole thing herself.  It was perfect.  It was such a genius idea that Brock couldn't believe even Paul Heyman could come up with it.  He was sick of leaving notes and pictures… he wanted something physical.  Something physical that did not involve an actual fight… at least not between himself and Adam.  Today was Adam Copeland's birthday.  _And he's getting one hell of a surprise from me._

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Britney and Adam entered the arena at about 10:30 that night.  They would have gone straight back to the hotel, but Adam left his things in the arena.  He expected to be wrestling the house show that night, so he had brought all his gear with him.  Britney had surprised him though, managing to get them the night off.  It was good to be the boss's niece sometimes.  His birthday had been perfect so far… nothing too elaborate or fancy, as he liked things to be kept low-key.  In the morning, Britney showered him with gifts and, um… more gifts.  In the afternoon, Jay, Steph, Trish, Amy, Mark, Terry Gerrin, Kurt, Chris, and the Hardys came by for cake, which was kept in Jay and Stephanie's room so Adam wouldn't notice.  When they got to the arena, Britney told him to keep his street clothes on because they were going out.  They went to a really nice dinner and, because most of the wrestling fans in the area were at the show, they were able to slip virtually unnoticed into a movie.

"That was a good movie, huh Princess?" Adam asked playfully.

"I'm not too sure," Britney answered smiling.  "I don't really remember seeing much of it.  We, uh… we didn't really do a lot of watching."

"That's my kind of movie," he said slyly, licking his lips and sending her a trademark Edge grin.  She smacked him playfully on the arm as they headed down the hall.  The two stopped outside the locker room where Adam's stuff was.  Britney wrapped her fingers in his as he thanked her graciously.  

"Thank you so much baby.  This has definitely been one of the best birthdays I've ever had.  I can't resist saying that it totally reeked of awesomeness!"  

Britney laughed and grinned widely, "You're welcome.  You deserve it.  I… I'm glad you liked everything… I feel like I've finally done something for you."  In response, the Canadian leaned down and kissed her cheek gently.  "What was that for?" she asked curiously.  

"Because… you're my princess, and I felt that your cheek was lonely," he answered, grinning at her.  She eyed him for a minute.  Standing on her tiptoes, Britney softly pressed her lips to his cheek, wrinkling her nose adorably as her cheek made contact with the stubble on the side of his face.  

"And what was that for?" he asked, repeating her question.  

"Because… you're… my beautiful Canadian.  And your cheek looked a little lonely too," she said matter-of-factly.  He smiled softly at her, lowering his head to hers.  About thirty seconds later, Chris exited the locker room, walking in on yet another scene.  

"Damn, don't you two have a ROOM you can be swapping spit in?" he asked, unable to keep from cracking a smile.  

"Sorry Chris," they said simultaneously and unapologetically, and then they burst out laughing.  

Shaking his head as he walked away, Chris called back, "I will never understand you two.  Happy Birthday Adam."

"Thanks," he called after him, before turning back to his girlfriend.  "I'll go grab my stuff."

  
Britney nodded, "Take your time… I wanna see if I can hunt down Steph and Amy.  They'll be wanting to know how everything went."  They kissed one more time and then parted directions.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

About twenty minutes later, Britney was off to see Adam again.  She and Stephanie walked down the hallway, stopping dead in their tracks when they Paul Levesque stepped in front of them.

"Some guy is here to see your boyfriend," he said half-heartedly, pointing to Britney.  Neither of the women said anything.  Paul sighed, "Alright.  I know you girls don't like me but I'm not playing around.  This guy says he sent you a letter, Steph," Levesque explained, to which Stephanie smacked her forehead.

"Oh shit!  His uncle!  That's right… he wants to surprise him… yeah, yeah I remember now!  Bring him back here.  Brit can call Adam," she said, recalling a letter received from a man awhile ago.  Normally, she wouldn't have even taken it seriously, but after a few phone calls she was convinced.

"I'll go get him," Paul said as Britney flipped open her cell phone.

As the Heavyweight Champion made his way away from the two girls, he took out his two-way.  Smirking, he sent Brock a message:  "He's in."  A few minutes later, Britney was off the phnoe and the two McMahon women were waiting.  Paul returned first, bringing with him a shorter man whom he introduced as Joe, Adam's uncle.  Paul excused himself, stopping just around the corner, where Brock was waiting for him.  They had advised Paul Heyman to stay away, as his excessively large mouth could end up getting them caught.  Both men were silent as they watched the shadow of Adam Copeland heading toward the women and Joe.

"Damn Brit, _another_ surprise?  I don't know how many more I can… what the fuck are YOU doing here?" Adam said, tone changing from excited to aghast.

"Hello Adam.  Nice to see you, too," Joe said, seemingly unfazed by Adam's reaction to seeing him.  Britney and Stephanie however, dropped there jaws in shock.

"Adam!" they both cried.  He didn't seem to want to listen to them though, as he continued.

"Answer my question… why the fuck are you here?" he asked again through gritted teeth.

"Why, Adam, it's your birthday.  You didn't think I'd miss my boy's birthday did you?  Besides, I thought you'd be happy to…"

"Oh, cut the act!  I told you to stay the fuck out of my life years ago, and I MEANT it!" Adam cried, staring at the three people in disbelief.

"Well, I'm sorry Adam, but I just wanted to see you," Joe said, smirking almost sarcastically.  "While I'm here, I'd just like to ask… how's your mother doing?"

"Leave her the hell out of this you asshole… I want you to leave.  Get away from Stephanie, get away from my girlfriend, get away from ME.  GO," Adam said fiercely.  Britney and Stephanie looked at each other, wondering what the hell was going on.

"But it was your girlfriend who called you to tell you I was here, wasn't it?  And it was Stephanie McMahon who I called to talk about coming out here.  If they knew you wouldn't want to see me, why would they bring me here in the first place?  After all, they had just as much to do with it as I did," he said.  Britney's eyes widened, as well as Stephanie's.

"What?  I… I didn't…" she started, but Adam cut her off.

"You… you had something to do with this?  I-I can't believe you'd do something like this to me.  Oh my God Brit, what the hell… I… I don't believe you," he said hoarsely, pointing at Britney accusingly.  With that said, he turned and walked away, leaving Britney hurt and confused.

"W-who are you?" she asked, suddenly worrying that something terrible had just happened.

"He's Joe," Paul said, stepping out from around the corner.

"And I don't believe the two of you have met before."  Britney's eyes widened in horror at the sound of that voice… it was Brock's.

"What the fuck did you do, Brock?  If you fuck things up for me…"

"Shut up Britney," Brock said, immediately silencing her by placing a finger on her lips.  He loved that he could still have total control over her if he needed to.  When she froze at his touch, he continued, relishing in the look of horror on her pretty face.

"Britney, Stephanie… allow me to introduce to my friend Joe… Adam Copeland's FATHER."

10 MINUTES LATER 

As soon as what was going on registered in Britney's mind, she bolted after Adam.  She grabbed Stephanie and ran, hoping that they could catch up to Adam and straighten everything out before it was too late.

"Have fun!" Brock and Paul taunted as the two women fled.

Britney glanced back at the men… namely Joe.  He was sending her a satisfied smirk.  _What a low life piece of trash._  She didn't even know the man's last name and she despised him.  How the hell could he agree to do something like this?  Whether or not he played a role in Adam's life, he WAS his father.  Didn't that mean anything?  She didn't have time to think about the questions she was asking herself.  She sent Stephanie off to find Chris or Jay.  As of right now, Adam thought that SHE had something to do with that Joe guy showing up… she had to find him.  Running down the hallway as quick as her heels would allow her, she frantically searched for him.  Turning around the corner, she smacked into somebody.  Looking up, she saw the Dudleys and Terry Gerrin.

"Woah, watch where you're going honey," Devon Hughes said, smiling.

"I'm sorry Dev.  Can any of you guys tell me where Adam is?" Britney asked hurriedly.

"Haven't seen him.  Sorry kid," Mark Lamonica said, shrugging apologetically.  Sighing, Britney pushed through the men and took off again.

"Hey Brit!" Terry called after her.  "Is Adam okay?"  Being one of Adam's good friends, he couldn't help but worry about the blonde man when he saw his girlfriend running after him so quickly.

"Uh… I think so!" she lied, starting up her search again.  Finally she ran into the hallway where the locker room Adam was sharing with some of the guys was.  Praying he was in there, she pounded heavily on the door.  After what seemed like ages, the door opened and Chris Benoit emerged.

"Hey Brit.  Surprised your still around," he said, allowing her to step in.

"Why?" she asked, eyes quickly scanning the empty room for Adam… or any sign that he was still in the arena.  _Shit, his bag's not here._

"Cause Adam came in here a minute ago when it was just me and Jay.  He was flipping out about something… I assumed they'd get you before they left.  He was REALLY upset.  He kept saying, 'I can't believe her,' and… oh shit.  You're the 'her' aren't you?" he asked, suddenly feeling like a complete idiot.

"In a way.  Chris, do you have any idea where they went?" Britney asked hopefully.

"I, uh… I think they left.  They both took their bags and…" the Crippler trailed off, noticing that Britney had already taken off.  He silently hoped that whatever was going on ended up okay.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Outside in the parking lot, Britney finally found Adam and Jay, tossing their bag's into their rental car.

"Guys, wait!" she called, jogging over to them.  Her heart broke as her eyes met Adam's.  He was looking at her as though she'd stomped a hole right in his heart.  "Adam, that… that wasn't what it looked like!" she cried, hoping he would see the truth.

"Well than what the fuck was it?!" he demanded, glaring down at her in disbelief.  Britney glanced over at Jay, who was currently sending her a very confused look.

"Jay, can you please excuse us.  I-I need to talk to Adam alone," she requested, almost desperately.

Jay was slightly torn as to what he was going to do.  On the one hand, he would love to just walk away and not look back, and leave the two of them to settle their own dispute.  On the other hand, he still wasn't completely aware of what happened, and wasn't sure if leaving them alone was the best idea.  He had a feeling it was something really bad.  He had never actually seen Adam mad at Britney, so he knew automatically it had to be something big.

"But, I… oh, alright.  Good night Brit… call me later Adam," Jay said, giving up on the protest.  Adam watched Jay head back toward the building until he disappeared before speaking.    
  


"Well?" he demanded again, his tone a mix of anger and hurt.

"I-I know that what just happened seemed really bad, but it wasn't my fault Adam!  I… I thought…"

"You thought what?  That I'd be HAPPY to see him?  Well, newsflash babe, you were a little off!" he cried, surprising her a little.  He was really freaking out about this whole ordeal.

"No!  You don't understand!  It wasn't me… I mean… it's your birthday…"

"So you decided to surprise me by bringing my FATHER in?!  What the fuck was that supposed to be, my birthday present!?  Come on Brit, you KNOW how much I hate him!" he cut in again.  She could plainly see the hurt in his eyes… he was crushed.

From around the corner, Jay's eyes widened.  _His father?  _When Adam came to him, he didn't give him any details, just stating that he needed to get the hell out of there.  The Canadian couldn't believe Britney would do something like that… as Adam said, Britney knew how he felt about his father.  As a matter of fact, Jay knew that Britney would NEVER do something like that… something wasn't right.  "Something doesn't add up," he said to himself, automatically thinking of Brock Lesnar and Paul Levesque.  A few steps behind, a figure smirked in the shadows.  _Good though Reso, _Brock Lesnar thought.  _But if you get too smart, it could end up being your last._

"Adam listen to me, PLEASE!  I didn't do that!  Look, Paul Levesque came up to me and Steph and told us that he was your uncle!" Britney explained, though Adam didn't seem to believe a word she said.

"And you believed him?!  How the hell am I supposed to believe that?  I… I don't know what to say to you right now.  How could you do something like this?" he asked.  Britney winced as she locked eyes with him.  She had never seen him look at her like this before… he looked so angry and hurt.

She tried once more to explain, "But Adam, I…"

"Save it Britney.  I-I don't wanna hear it right now," he said, getting in the car and placing the key in the ignition.  As he drove away, she felt the scalding tears springing to her eyes.  _Oh my God… what the hell is going on?  _This was really bad… she needed to do something before she lost him.  _Damn you, Brock Lesnar._


	27. Part 26

PART 26

****

REALLY LATE THAT NIGHT

Britney, still in the clothes she had worn to dinner, sat quietly in an armchair.  It was almost 2 A.M.  She looked up, meeting two pairs of eyes--- a dark brown one and an ice blue one.  Mark and Chris had driven her to the hotel, and the three of them were currently sitting in Britney's room.  While Britney was outside with Adam, Stephanie had found the two of them.  They found her sitting out in the parking lot, crying.  Since then, they had driven her to the hotel, Chris led her up to the room while Mark parked, and then she had explained the whole thing.

"What am I gonna do?" Britney asked, yawning loudly.

Chris yawned as well.  "I don't know kid, but maybe we should wait till morning to figure that out.  I'll be right back… I'm going to go grab some clothes to sleep in," he said, gesturing to the wrestling tights he was wearing.  Since it was clear that Adam probably wasn't coming back that night, it had been established that Chris would stay with Britney.  He stood patting the top of Britney's head gently as he made his way out the door.

After the Canadian was out the door, Mark turned to the young woman next to him.  "Everything will be okay.  Give it a day or two and it'll all blow over," the Deadman offered, not really knowing what to say.

Shaking her head, Britney replied, "I don't know, Mark.  He looked so… hurt.  I just feel so guilty about this… I-I should have known something was up when Paul brought him to us."

"This is NOT your fault.  I don't understand how Adam doesn't believe you.  I mean, doesn't he get that with all of this shit going on?" Mark asked.

Britney couldn't help but wonder about what Mark just said.  Why didn't Adam believe her?  If he actually thought she could have something to do with this, than he obviously didn't trust her.  And if he didn't trust her…

"Oh God Mark, what am I going to do?  I… I can't lose him over this!  I-I… I'll… oh God!" she cried, tears instantly refilling her eyes and sliding down her cheeks.

"You… you wont… aw, stop!" Mark begged as he watched her lean forward, sobbing.  He absolutely HATED to see women cry, especially ones he cared about.  It made him very uncomfortable… he just didn't know how to handle it.  Pulling her over to him, he did as best as he could to comfort her.

"Come on kid, don't cry.  It… it'll be okay.  Please stop crying Brit.  I… I'm so sorry that all of this is happening.  Please Brit, don't cry," he soothed, hoping that Chris would get back soon.  He knew how to comfort people a lot better than Mark did.

As Britney sobbed against him, Mark thought about how he was going to handle this situation.  His first thought was to go straight to Lesnar and Levesque, but he decided against it.  Neither Adam nor Britney would benefit from that.  Still, something had to be done soon.  The shit had been going on for far too long to ignore anymore.  _I'll give him one more chance to take care of this himself_, Mark thought of Adam.  Then the Houston native decided that he would see Adam the next day, to… set his mind straight.  _You get one more chance, Copeland.  If not, it's Big Daddy Calloway's turn to take over._

A DOWNTOWN BAR 

"Come on man, you've had enough."

Adam turned his head to meet the gaze of his best friend.  Jay had ran around the parking lot, hopped in his car and followed him to the bar when he saw him take off.  Adam drove, seemingly aimlessly, for almost two hours before stopping at this bar.  When he arrived, the shorter man sat at a table in the back, watching his friend from a distance.  He figured that Adam probably needed a drink or two to numb the ongoing situation, so at first he let him go.  But Adam had already downed his fifth beer, and they had only been there for a little under an hour.

"Fuck you," Adam muttered.  "Why the hell are you here?"

"Because I knew you would come here and I wanted to be here in case you decided to do anything stupid," Jay said honestly.

"Well isn't that just so nice of you.  Just so you know, I don't NEED you to watch me.  I c-can handle myself Jay… I'm a little old for a babysitter," Adam replied, slurring his words slightly.

"Please, Adam.  At the rate you're going you'll be getting your stomach pumped by 3:30.  Come on, lets get back to the hotel," Jay insisted.

Adam shook his head, "Nope.  I'm s-staying right where I am.  I don't wanna go yet."  Jay sighed, brushing a few strands of hair away from his face.

"I'm sure you don't, Adam.  But I don't give a damn what you want.  You're in no condition to make your own decisions.  Lets go," Jay said sternly, pulling Adam up by the arm.

"Alright, alright!  You don't gotta be so fucking pushy," Adam snorted, putting his arms up in retreat.  As he stood, he toppled backwards, nearly falling over.  Jay caught him, pulling him back into an upright position.  Putting Adam's arm around his shoulder, he helped him out of the building.  Once they were outside, Jay turned to Adam.

"Give me your keys," he demanded, placing his hands out.

"No.  I wanna drive myself," Adam said, pushing Jay's hand away.

"Fuck that!  Do you have any idea how drunk you are Adam?  There is no way in hell I'm going to let you drive.  Now, give me your keys!" he repeated.

Adam shoved his hand away again, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the car keys.  He tried to turn away, but Jay took advantage of Adam's not-exactly-peak condition, snatching the keys right from his hand.

"Hey!  I said I wanted to drive!  Gimme my keys back!" Adam cried childishly, yanking the keys from Jay's unsuspecting hand.  He immediately clamped his hand shut around them, mocking Jay, "Ha ha, now you can't drive!"

"Adam, grow the fuck up and stop being stupid.  Give me the god damn keys!" Jay demanded again, this time angrily.

When Adam didn't comply, Jay grabbed his wrists and began prying at Adam's hands.  _I'm standing outside in the rain at two o'clock in the morning fighting over car keys with a drunk man.  Damn, I am a REALLY good friend.  _As he thought, he finally managed to yank the keys from Adam's grasp.  When he pulled them out of his hand, Adam stumbled, backing into the wall of the building.  He slumped down the wall and plopped on the ground, not even caring about the fact that his ass was getting completely soaked from the wet ground.

"Jay, what the hell is going on with my life?" he cried, tears welling up in his eyes.  "This isn't me!  It's my fucking birthday!  I shouldn't be here… I should be with Britney, but I'm not!  I'm sitting on the ground outside of a dumpy ass bar, getting completely soaked in the pouring rain.  Why the fuck can't ONE good day pass without something really bad putting a damper on it?"

Jay crouched down next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  "I don't know man.  But we'll figure everything out, okay?  I promise we will… we just have to go back to the hotel and try and get a little sleep first," he said, his tone changing completely from his last sentence.

"How can I do that?  What about Britney?  I… I hate her," he said, crossing his arms.

"No you don't Adam… that's just the liquor talking.  You know you love her," Jay said, shaking his head.  As he glanced down at his best friend, Jay couldn't tell if the drops running down Adam's cheeks were raindrops or tears.

"I… I know I don't.  I love her… that's why I hate her.  I love her too damn much.  I love her so much that she's hurting me without even trying.  Oh God, Jay, I need her.  I'm so pissed, but I need her so bad."

Now Jay knew that it was tears running down Adam's face.  He didn't know what else to do, so he helped his friend up and helped him to the car.  Almost immediately after Jay got him seated and belted in, Adam passed out.  He wasn't passed out, like unconscious, but he was definitely not waking up anytime soon.  _Good_, Jay thought.  He probably needed to sleep, because he was certainly gonna have to deal with a lot of shit when he woke up.

THE NEXT DAY 

Adam lay in bed trying to watch TV.  Jay and Stephanie had went out for the day, instructing Adam to stay in bed as long as he needed.  They knew he would have some kind of hangover, so they didn't want him to feel he had to rush around to leave right away.  He wished that his damn headache would go away.  Actually, it wasn't so bad any more.  Over the course of the morning, and after throwing up a few times, it had been reduced to a dull twinge.  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.  Adam groaned, remember his personal policy of always answering the door, no matter what time it was or how you felt.  He slowly made his way to the door, wondering who was there, and if he was going to regret answering.  He opened the door to see a pair of large tattooed arms crossed in front of an equally large chest.

"Oh shit," Adam muttered as Mark let himself in.

"Oh don't sound so happy to see me," he said sarcastically.  "I want to know why you haven't talked to Britney yet."

"Well, I see good news travels around here," Adam griped miserably.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Copeland.  I like you, you know that.  But I have a serious  problem with you not letting Britney explain to you what really happened last night.  If you'd just listen to her, you would see that she was set up," Mark replied.

Adam rolled his eyes, "Well, _Callaway_, it's so nice of you to stop by and tell me something that I already know."  Mark didn't like the sound of his voice.  The kid was usually so positive… now, he was downright bitter.

"Don't get cute.  I know what happened last night, okay?  And I understand how it looks and all, but that's really not the case.  I also know that I watched your girlfriend cry for an hour… and, according to Chris, she continued to do so for another hour and a half before she fell asleep…"

"Oh, well I'm SO glad Chris was there.  I mean really, what would we do without a great guy like him.  I bet he stayed with her last night too, didn't he?  And he probably tucked her in, and… ow!  What the fuck was that for?!" Adam said, stopping abruptly when Mark balled his hand into a fist and punched him hard.

"That," Mark replied angrily, "was for being a dick.  Hopefully, it'll snap you back into reality.  I didn't want to have to do it, but it's apparent that your being deliriously stupid.  I'm sure you have a hangover and all, so I'll leave the beating at that.  I… I'm a guy, I know what guys do when their upset.  But don't think I won't do that again if you say something else stupid.  YOU made her cry and YOU made her feel guilty for something she didn't even do."

Adam clutched his face, half in pain, half in shock.  _So much for the headache going away.  _The American Badass sure knew how to pack a punch.  Mark was right though.  He seriously needed to analyze what was going on.  He knew that Britney hadn't lied to him… but he HAD to get away from that arena.  Seeing his father was not something Adam saw as a treat, and it had just upset him.  Still, he made her cry, and that wasn't something he wanted to do.

"You… you're right Mark," Adam replied seriously.  "I… it just hurt so bad, to see my father and to think that Britney had something to do with him showing up.  I wanted nothing more than to go to her for consolation, but… it just looked bad, ya know?  I didn't know what to do, so I just found a bar and drank.  If… if Jay didn't follow me, I could be off God knows where, maybe even dead.  I… I was downing them pretty quick."

"Well I'm glad he followed you then.  Seriously though Adam, something has to be done.  Brock and Paul are getting away with way too much shit," Mark commented, thankful that the Canadian's best friend followed him, but still focused on what he came for.

"Yeah I know.  Quite frankly, I'm getting sick of it.  I… I'm going to do something," he said, nodding his head in agreement.

"Well, whatever that something is, I suggest you do it soon.  I don't think either you or Brit could handle it if you broke up.  I may be a macho guy, but I know what love is, and that's definitely what you two have.  I want you guys to be happy, but with Brock, Heyman, and Levesque free to mess with you it's possible that they'll tear you apart," Mark said solemnly.

Adam shook his head, "No.  That won't happen.  I won't let it.  I… I think I'm going to Vince today.  I know I've said before that he'd be useless, but I think I have enough to go against him."  Mark eyed him curiously.

"And just how do you plan to appeal to him?" he asked.

"With the truth," Adam stated firmly.  "He and I don't have much in common, but we do share one thing… we both love Britney very much.  If I can just get him to believe that Brock is the one who caused Britney all that grief, and get him to believe what Paul has done to Steph, he'll definitely be on our side."

Mark nodded in agreement.  "So how much do you think you'll have to tell him for him to buy it?" he asked.

Adam laughed, almost ruefully.  "Everything."

 


	28. Part 27

PART 27

****

LATER THAT DAY

"Hey Vince," Adam said as he entered the Chairman's hotel suite.

"Hello Adam.  Please, have a seat and tell me why you wanted to see me," Vince said, putting his papers away.

"I'm, um… I… I'm here to talk about Brock and Paul, well both Pauls- Levesque and Heyman.  I know you don't really believe a lot of stories concerning them and Britney.  But honestly Vince, the situation is getting out of hand, and I don't know where else to turn," Adam said, unsure of his words at first.

_Finally_, Vince thought.  _Someone's coming to me.  I can find out ore about what's going on._  "Alright son," he said.  "Tell me how it's getting out of hand."  Adam shifted uncomfortably in his chair.  This wasn't exactly going to be an easy conversation.

"Well, um," he started, clearing his throat.  "I… I'm not sure how to word all…"

"Don't worry about that, Adam.  I have something to confess," Vince cut in.  He'd never get anything out of Adam if the Canadian felt nervous around him.  "I, uh… ever since you and Britney started dating, I've been observing Britney's situation with Brock more closely.  As time passes, I… well, I feel more and more like an ass.  I'm starting to think that, well… maybe my kids weren't completely lying."

  
Adam eyed him speculatively.  _Well if you thought they weren't lying, why didn't you do anything about it?  _As much as he wondered why the man hadn't acted yet if he knew, it was a comfort to know that there was a huge chance that he would listen to and believe what he had to say.

"Well, that's certainly a relief.  Um, what I was saying was that over the last few months Brock, along with Paul Heyman and Levesque have tried repeatedly to tear Britney and I… not to mention Jay and Stephanie… apart.  At first, it was just stupid stuff that we could all handle, but now it's getting to the point where it's actually bothered Britney enough for her to ASK me to come to you.  You know things can't be good if she actually WANTS to go to you… no offense," Adam said honestly.  He figured it was kind of harsh, but it was the truth.

Vince nodded acceptingly and replied, "None taken.  Adam, I need you to tell me everything that those three have done since the beginning of your relationship.  Don't leave anything out… I know it's awkward, and I understand that.  But I also understand that you love my niece, so I know we both have a common goal.  Please tell me what happened… I promise that I won't make the mistake of not listening again."

"Alright.  You have to understand that because of him it took forever to even get to the point where we were going out.  But I guess the first thing they did didn't even really happen to us.  Brock had Levesque plant a picture of him and Steph in Jay's anniversary gift.  Then, he told me that he and Levesque had been watching us… me, Jay, Steph and Brit… for weeks, and that they had big plans for us.  That was the day Brock and I fought… which was when I, uh… I accidentally hit Britney and she wouldn't talk to me for like 3 or 4 days.  I really thought that was the end of us, but I guess we're a lot stronger than we thought.  Um… Paul Heyman slapped Britney once because I gave him a black eye.  That… that was really the only physical stuff that occurred.  For awhile recently, Brock would get a key to our hotel room and plant stuff in it… really weird stuff," Adam said, stopping to take a deep breath.

Vince nodded, "What kind of things?"

"Well, letters… pretty graphic letters, saying what they would do when they got back together.  They really bothered Britney… and I think Stephanie got  a few from Paul as well.  Roses, flowers, pictures… mainly of Britney and Brock together.  There was this one though, of me.  It was a promotional one, like the ones they give out at autograph sessions.  It really freaked me out cause I had, like, blood drawn on me.  And um… oh last night, Levesque and Brock paid my father to come out here.  And they made it look like Britney and Stephanie did it.  After a, uh… talk with Mark Callaway, I've realized I have some straightening out to do," Adam explained.

"Guess Mark 'talked' you into that black eye too," Vince said, laughing awkwardly.  "I, uh… wow.  I can't believe I didn't see all this.  Um… what about Heyman?  Of the three, he strikes me as the sleaziest so I've got to ask… did he do anything?" he asked recalling Adam giving him a black eye.  Adam wasn't the type of guy who just hit someone without being provoked.  Adam's stomach flipped… he really didn't want to talk about this.

Swallowing hard, he answered, "Actually, uh… yeah.  On Brit's birthday, he kind of, um… spied on us while we were in our hotel room.  Chris found him and, uh… said he… he could see into the room because the curtains on the sliding door were open.  W-we were… in the middle of… something.  He… he almost saw us… but I shut the curtain.  Well, it was her birthday…"

"I understand.  You guys are adults… don't be embarrassed by it at all.  What they, especially that SOB Heyman, are doing is totally inexcusable.  What they are doing is disgusting and it will be stopped.  I… I can't believe what an IDIOT I was!  If I'd just listened to Shane all those years ago, I could have prevented this.  Oh God, what have I done?  I made two men who destroyed my girls' lives the champions and gave creative control to the another!" he said, angry at himself for what his stupidity allowed to transpire.

"Don't take this out on yourself Vince.  It may have taken you awhile, but you know what's going on now.  If anyone can help us out now, it's you," Adam told him.

Vince shook his head, "No, I'm blind, just like Britney said I was.  How the hell did I miss all this?  I… I guess I just figured that if I imagined that it wasn't happening it would all go away.  I just don't want my girls to end up like my sister… they don't deserve it.  You know what, though?  You're right, Adam… I CAN help.  No more games.  You and I are very different people… but we both love Britney… and I know you think of my daughter as a sister.  We have to protect the girls.  And we will," he said, confidence beginning to show.

"That's great… thanks Vince.  So… what do we do?" Adam asked, hoping the boss had some kind of plan in mind.  Vince grinned slyly, almost a little crazed.

He laughed as he answered, "Well son, if they want a fight… we'll just have to bring a war."

TWO DAYS LATER 

Britney leafed through a magazine at the hotel after the show.  She and Adam weren't staring together again yet, but she wasn't rushing back to him.  They had spoken once by phone, and he explained that while he understood that she had nothing to do with his father showing up, he needed some time alone.  She knew he wasn't mad, but it still hurt.  Sighing sadly, she placed the magazine on the nightstand.  She reached over to turn the light off so she could go to sleep… once again alone.  She thought of calling Chris, but she'd already assured him that she'd be fine alone and she didn't want to bother him.  When she turned to lay down, she saw a figure standing by her bed.  She jumped half a mile, nearly screaming… but then she realized that it was Adam.

"Adam?  You… you're here," she said, watching as he sat next to her on the bed.

"Yeah, I am.  Um… thanks for giving me that time alone.  I really needed it," he said graciously, reaching over to hug her.

"Adam," she said, noticing his shades.  "You're wearing sunglasses, and it's like, 12 o'clock at… oh my God, what happened to your eye?" she asked upon removing the sunglasses.  The bruise was faded but still obviously visible.

"I, uh… lets just say the surrogate father didn't appreciate the comments I made when he came to see me.  I had a hangover and I was miserable… so I wasn't too nice," he explained, laughing sheepishly.  Britney didn't see the humor in it, and her eyes widened.  She knew immediately who hit Adam.

"Mark hit you?  Oh my God, Adam, are you okay?  I'll have to kill him," she said defensively.  Sometimes Mark got a little too overprotective of her.

"Don't worry about it babe, I'm fine.  Besides, I should have known better than to mouth off at him.  I guess being the resident father gives him rights to beat the kids," Adam shrugged.

After that, Britney suggested he get settled in, to which Adam agreed.  He got changed, put his things away, and soon enough he was laying down next to her in bed.  They turned the TV for about an hour, just to check the scoreboards, and then decided to try and sleep.  Britney tossed and turned for about an hour, unable to sleep.  It bugged her that Adam hadn't said one word to her about what had happened a few days ago.  It was obviously a big deal to him, and she was curious as to why he hadn't at least mentioned it.  She debated on whether or not she could let it go till morning.  _Let it go, Britney.  Just be glad he's here.  Just… oh, fuck it.  I can't sleep till I find out._  Sitting up, she switched the light on, stirring Adam out of his sleep.  The Canadian sat up abruptly, squinting at the sudden brightness in the room.

"Are you okay?  What is it?" he asked moving closer to her.

"I'm fine, it's just… something's bugging me.  I… I know that what happened the other night really upset you.  It scared me Adam.  Don't you at least want to talk about it?" she asked, frowning when he immediately backed away from her.

"No," he stated plainly, laying back down and turning away.

"Adam, come on.  You know you can tell me," she said pleadingly.

"Britney, drop it," he said in an annoyed tone.

"But Adam…"

"NO!  I don't want to talk about that!  I NEVER do!  Please… just shut the hell up and go back to sleep!" Adam cried suddenly, surprising his girlfriend.  Britney didn't know how to react… he never acted this way around her.

"Um, okay.  Sorry," she said quietly and almost meekly.  She turned over and switched the light off, facing away from him when she laid back down.  That certainly didn't go over well.  Now she'd never get to sleep.  She laid there upset for a few minutes, until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"It hurt," Adam whispered quietly.

  
Turning around, Britney nodded, "I know.  But you've gotta talk to me about these things baby.  I always talk to you about my problems.  I want you to be able to do the same with me.  I-I didn't mean to upset you… I just don't like seeing you hurt."

"I know," Adam replied, "and I shouldn't have blown up at you for that either.  I just… this is like uncharted waters for me, Brit.  I'm not used to talking about it."  Britney nodded, resting her head on his collarbone.

"I understand Adam… believe me, I do.  After all the shit I've gone through and had to talk about, I know it isn't easy.  It's okay, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she told him.  Wrapping his arm around her waist, he sighed.  He waited a few moments, and finally decided that if he was going to talk to anybody, it would be her.

"When I was in second grade, the school year was letting out a little late," he started, to which Britney's ears perked up.  "So, my teacher decided to have the kids make Father's Day gifts.  They put on this whole show, and they had the dads come in and watch.  I didn't have the balls to tell her that I didn't have a dad, so I just went along and did the show anyway.  It was okay… until the end.  She decided at the last minute that it would be cute for the kids to present their gifts to their fathers right then, instead of waiting till they got home.  I was the only kid there without a father, Brit.  The only fucking one.  Everyone was so happy, but I just sat in the back of the room and wondered why I couldn't have a dad like the rest of the kids.  I went home that day and just cried for hours… I was mortified.  It was the first time I noticed how much him not being there affected me.  Over the next 20 years I missed out on all the Father/Son shit, and it makes me sick… it made me sick to see his face again," he said painfully.

Britney took the opportunity to look up into his eyes, and her heart sunk.  Even in the dark, she could plainly see the tears in his eyes.  He continued on for nearly twenty minutes, recalling all the times not having a father hurt him as a kid and as an adult.  He revealed a lot of things that she hadn't known before.  She found out that he had met Joe once before, and he'd basically called his mom Judy a whore… a one-night stand girl.  That really crushed Adam, because he loved his mom even more than he loved Britney, and Britney knew that Judy was a wonderful woman.  He said that all Adam would ever amount to be was a worthless bastard.

"Well, he was wrong about that one, wasn't he King Edge the Awesome," she said, causing them both to give a teary laugh.  By now she had tears running down her cheeks as well, but she was fine with that.  Adam had felt like a huge weight had been lifted from him, and that was what mattered.  He eyed her in amazement as she lovingly wiped the tears from his cheeks.  He smiled softly at her.

"Thank you," he said gratefully.  "I… I don't think I've ever told anyone any of that before."

"Well that's what I'm here for.  I want you to know that you can always talk to me about anything… no matter what it is," she told him.

She was glad he ended up telling her.  After all, she finally trusted him with all of her heart.  In a way, it was like he was returning the trust.  That meant a hell of a lot to Britney.  He laid back down, pulling her with him and holding her up against him.

"You know, he said after a few minutes of silence, "I think…"  He trailed off, noticing that she was already asleep.  Adam moved his head to gently kiss her on the forehead.  "I love you Princess."

TWO WEEKS LATER 

"Vince, are you sure that's a good idea?" Paul Levesque asked almost nervously.  He remained outwardly calm, but he was beginning to grow somewhat angry at what he had heard.

Vince McMahon had just explained the Main Event for Survivor Series.  There was going to be a six-man Elimination Chamber match.  Triple H vs. Booker T vs. Jericho vs. Kane vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Shawn Michaels… and HBK would be the winner.  Paul wouldn't mind losing to Shawn… just not for his Heavyweight Title.  His gaze shifted around the men in the room- Rob Huffman, Rob Szaktowski, Chris Irvine, and Glenn Jacobs- before finally settling his gaze on Shawn Michaels.  The two men used to be best friends, but when Paul and Stephanie went out, it drove a stake into their friendship.  Shawn finally saw the REAL Paul Levesque… and he didn't like it.  He didn't like the way he treated Stephanie… or the way he treated anybody, for that matter.  He just wasn't the person Shawn thought he was.  Paul's eyes formed a glare at his former best friend. He just found out that he'd be dropping the belt to him at Survivor Series.

Vince smiled slyly, "I'm very sure, Paul."  The Chairman eyed the men in his office speculatively.  He sent them, specifically Levesque, a huge, satisfied smirk.  Not only would this be a huge headlining match, he would get the title off of Triple H.  "Gentlemen, I'll update you when we have more plans ready.  You can all go," he instructed, watching five of the men stand up and file out.  He also took note of the glare that Chris Irvine sent Paul.

"Well Paul, what is it?" Vince asked knowingly.

"I think you know what IT is, Vince.  Why the hell would I drop my title to Shawn Michaels?" The Game asked gruffly.

"Well, nostalgic purposes, really.  And also so we get the belt off to another heel without having to change you to a face or anything.  Besides, the fans want to see HBK have one last run as champion.  I thought you'd…"

"Oh come on Vince!  Everyone knows that HBK doesn't deserve the title as much as I… er, Triple H does!  I know I said I'd job to him one more time, but I was thinking along the lines of a SummerSlam type match.  You know… non-title," Levesque interrupted impatiently.  There was no way he was going to give up HIS World Title to that washed up loser… or anyone at all for that matter.

Vince's smile grew… his plan was working.  He knew that the best way to get to Paul was through his Heavyweight Title.  Every time Vince or creative suggested he drop the belt to someone, he did everything in his unusually large power to make sure that that didn't happen.  It was like the Heavyweight Championship was Paul's baby… and Vince was Child Services.

"I don't see why you're arguing this," Vince said plainly.  "It's already set in stone… the match will occur… and you WILL lose the title to Shawn Michaels."  Paul was obviously pissed, as the skin on his face was now turning to a reddish purple.

"Oh, what the fuck Vince?  Why can't I just cheat to win?  If I may be blunt, this idea sucks," Levesque whined.  Vince smirked arrogantly.

"If I may be blunt… and seeing how as I am your boss, I may… I don't give a shit what you think of this idea.  I'm hearing things, Paul… things I don't like.  This is my way of warning you that I know more than you think.  I suggest you smarten up real soon… or I will take the matter into my own hands.  Right now, I'm letting those who have to deal with it do so.  But mark my words… if you do anything else to hurt my girls… you will NEVER see that title again," Vince threatened, sending Paul an equally icy glare.

_Oh shit… he knows.  _Paul's mind was racing.  What the fuck was he going to do?  The Title was what he worked, bled, sweat, and dreamt for… and without Stephanie in the picture… it was his life.  And now, because he had found out that he was working with Brock, the bastard was going to take it away from him, possibly for good?  He stood and promptly exited the room, mumbling a string of bewildered curses under his breath.

Vince laughed cockily as he watched the man exit his room.  He had never seen Levesque, in the eight or more years he'd known him, look so surprised and well… so afraid.  He was surprised at how happy it had made him to see the look of shock and fear on the Game's face.  Come to think of it, it WASN'T all that surprising… thinking of what the man tried to do to his daughter.  _And to think I wanted that man to be my son-in-law.  _Suddenly, as he was going over his documents, he came across an injury status report.  It had Brock Lesnar on it, listed as having broken ribs.  An eerie, almost evil smile crossed Vince's face.  He couldn't wait for the kid to have his match against the Big Show.  He recalled what Brock had done to Britney not too long ago and compared their case to Brock and Paul Wight.  The size difference was almost the same.  _Brock wants to beat up my little niece… maybe it's time I let the Next Big Thing "feel the pain."_

**Hey guys… I may not update this for awhile.  I've kinda lost my motivation.  I really like getting reviews on this story, cause I put a lot into it, but if I'm not getting any, either no one's reading or no one cares enough.  So to the people who did review and did read, thank you, I really appreciate it, and I'm sorry.  It may seem kinda selfish, but if I don't start getting more reviews, I won't finish this story.  33**


	29. Part 28

Okay, I changed my mind about discontinuing the story… thanks so much to everyone who told me not to when I said was going to stop.  It means a lot.  Anyway, I have finals, so it may take a little longer for me to update, but I *will* finish it.  Anyway, if you guys keep sending reviews, I'll keep updating. No reviews means no updates… lol. Thanks everyone!

PART 28

****

DECEMBER 31, 2002

"Okay, now smile and gimme a CHRISTIAN!"

Jay sighed when, instead of singing a "CHRISTIAN," Britney, Amy, Stephanie and Trish all flipped him off.  After taking a few pictures of the girls, Britney, Jeff, Jay and Trish were all back on the dance floor with the others.  Amy and Stephanie spotted some of the other divas, and went over to say hi.  Vince and Linda were throwing a company-wide New Years Bash, aptly titled the "Smackdown the New Year."  Everyone was there:  wrestlers, referees, announcers… everyone _except_ Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and Paul Levesque.  However, no one seemed to notice or really mind.  While their friends grinded it out on the dance floor, Kurt, Terry, and Adam hung low by the bar.  

"So, how was your Christmas, Adam?  Holly, jolly, and full of Britney?" Terry asked playfully.  

Adam smiled at the thought of the holidays.  Since their only family was working, Adam and Jay brought the girls to Canada to spend Christmas with their families.  Britney was very excited, as she had always gotten along well with Adam's family, especially his mother.  Judy Copeland was equally excited, as she was thrilled that her son had finally found another woman to be with that he loved so much.  The week off, though short, gave Adam some much-needed rest, time with his family, and time alone with Britney.  It also gave the four of them a chance to get away from the company that had caused so much drama in their lives.  Needless to say, Adam was a well-rested, satisfied man.  

"Yeah, it was great… and full of Britney, too," he said laughing.  The three men talked for a little while, and then watched as Britney and Chris made their way over.

"Hey," Adam said, eyeing his girlfriend appreciatively as she put her arm around his broad shoulders.

"Hey," she replied, smiling at how they were now the same height… with him sitting on the stool and her standing up.  After a few minutes, the song "Ill Stand By You" by The Pretenders came on.  Britney and Adam's eyes met and they immediately linked hands and made their way to the middle of the dance floor.  When they stopped, Adam's arms encircled her waist.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing into his eyes.  

"Have I told you how beautiful you look… as always?" he asked suddenly, grinning widely.  He laughed at the way her cheeks reddened.

"Not within the last half-hour, no," she said, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing.  

"Well you do… and you are.  You're… you're a total scorchcake," he said.  The two laughed at his use of the old E&C term, then focused more intently on one another.  Adam pulled her even closer, allowing her to rest her head on his chest as he thought of how the lyrics suited them so well.  He could hear her, though it was very quietly, singing along.

"When you're standin' at the crossroads, don't know which path to choose, let me come along, cause even if you're wrong… I'll stand by you."

As she looked back up at him, he couldn't resist the sudden urge to kiss her.  Leaning down to capture her lips with his, Adam ignored everyone else.  As they allowed it to continue and deepen, they realized that they didn't care about anyone else in the room… or Chris making "WOO" noises as he stood behind them with Jessica.  To both of them, they were the only two people in the world, let alone the room.  As he looked up from the kiss, Adam took in all the other couples in the room.  Jeff and Trish, Jay and Stephanie, Chris and Jess, Mark and Sara, Kurt and Karen, Matt and Amy, Shane and his wife Marissa… they all seemed so happy.  Adam knew it was no coincidence that a night such as this occurred without the presence of Brock or both Pauls… and he was certainly taking advantage of it.  As the song ended, Vince got on the mic and announced that it was 11:59, and that there was only about 30 seconds left until midnight.  

"Brit," Adam said, speaking quickly so he could get it all in before the minute was up.  "I just want to say that this year is going to be great… our first full year together will be perfect together.  I love you, and I know that we'll have a lot more New Years to celebrate together."  Britney opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she heard everyone counting down.  

10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" everyone shouted happily.  All the guys had brought their wives and girlfriends, so the room was pretty much full of couples.  Needless to say, it turned into a giant hugging and kissing fest.  Britney turned to Adam, drawing his face to hers.  After breaking the kiss, Adam looked up and locked eyes with Jay, who had just stopped kissing Stephanie.  The two best friends immediately grinned at each other.  They held the gaze for awhile, until Britney's voice cut through that and the sounds of Auld Lang Sine.

"Babe?  What are you looking at?" she asked, wrinkling her nose as she looked up at him curiously.  He smiled at how adorable she looked when doing so.

"Nothing at all," he said grinning.  He pulled her in close wrapping his arms tightly around her as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"Happy New Year Brit."

JANUARY 15, 2003 

    Shane McMahon walked briskly down the hallway in search of his father.  He was really only at the house show because it was his birthday and Britney, Stephanie, and the others all wanted him to be there to celebrate.  He didn't really want to do anything, as he wasn't much of a party guy, but he decided he would do it to please the girls.  Anyway, he figured that since he was there he could catch a chance to talk with his dad, as he had something to discuss with him.  Finally finding his dad's makeshift office, he knocked twice and walked in.  

"Hey Dad," Shane said, walking in and sitting down.  

"Hey Shane.  Happy birthday kid," Vince said happily.  Their relationship had definitely changed as of late, oddly for the better.  Shane just hoped that their conversation wouldn't do anything to ruin that.  It was a nice change.

"Thanks Dad.  I, uh… I wanted to ask you a question," Shane said, almost nervously, causing his father to worry.  Vince frowned at his son's expression.  

"Um, okay… shoot," he encouraged.

"Well, I… I want you to know that I'm proud of what you've been doing for Stephanie and Brit lately.  I really am.  So, now that you know everything that has happened over the last seven years, I… um… I was wondering.  How come you didn't believe me when I told you five years ago?" Shane asked, a hurt look crossing his features.

_I suppose he's got a right to feel hurt.  After all, he tried with all his heart to protect his baby cousin and sister, and tried like hell to warn me about what was going on.  And what did I, his own father do?  I practically disowned the guy.  _Vince cleared his throat before speaking.

"I… I was stupid.  I'll admit it to you, Shane… Vincent Kennedy McMahon was wrong.  You don't know how damn guilt I feel about it, either.  I betrayed my own flesh and blood for some punk who'd give me cheap compliments.  You know I don't like to say this, but… you deserve to hear it.  I'm sorry, Shane.  I should have listened.  I should have listened and I should have seen all of this.  I guess for me it was just easier to pretend nothing was wrong, because the thought of my girls, especially Britney, turning out like my sister killed me," he admitted.

Shane couldn't help but admire his father after hearing him say that.  It took guts for him to admit he was wrong, and Shane's respect for him grew tremendously.  He knew Vince was absolutely crushed by his sister's death.  Shane understood how much it must have hurt, as they had had a relationship similar to the one he had with Stephanie and Britney.  

"Dad, I," he started, "I want you to know that I understand how difficult it must have been to say all that… and my respect for you as a father and as a man have grown so much right now.  I… I know Aunt Deb's death hurt you… it hurt all of us.  And I can't tell you how many times I've sat and worried my ass off about Britney ending up like that, so I know why you were afraid.  I-I'm really proud of you for admitting that you made a mistake."

Vince smiled softly at his son.  "Thank you, Shane.  That means a lot to me… but do you think you'll ever forgive me for what I did?" he asked.  Shane looked up to meet his hopeful gaze.

"I don't know if I'm the one you really need the forgiveness from.  But yeah, as far for not listening to me, yes… I forgive you Dad," he said honestly.  Nodding, he stood and slowly made his way to the door, satisfied at the way their conversation went.  He was actually a little surprised that it went as well as it did… but then again, everything seemed to be going well lately.  

"Uh, Shane?" Vince asked, stopping his son at the door.

"Yeah Dad?"

Breathing deeply, he answered, "I, uh… I know you and I don't usually express much emotion towards each other, but I… well I'm proud of you.  I'm proud of the man you've become, and I'm glad that you didn't model yourself after me.  I'm also glad that the only thing you did take after me in was the way you care for our family.  I… for the first time in awhile, I can honestly say that I'm proud to have Shane McMahon as my son.  So, I guess what I'm trying to say is… well… I…"

He trailed off, sudden awkward feeling washing over him.  As Shane twisted the knob on the door, he smiled back at his father.

"I love you too, Dad."

TWO DAYS LATER 

    Shane was now at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, sitting on the floor of his spacious living room surrounded by a large pile of gifts.  When he'd received a bunch of gifts from everybody at his party, he knew there was no way he could open them all and still have time to actually have a party… so, he opted to take them all home and open them there.  He had just thanked everyone ahead of time, and they understood.  

"Wow, Shane… somebody must like you this year."

Shane looked up to see his wife Marissa walking into the room, plopping down on a couch near him.  The room really was a sight.  Her husband was sitting in a mountain of gifts, wide-eyed like a little kid on Christmas morning.  

"I know… I don't know where to start," he said in amazement.

"Don't worry," Marissa said, unable to contain her laughter.  "I'll help you." 

Very slowly, gift-by-gift, they managed to open the gifts and re-pile them without wrecking the room too much.  Shane was surprised and extremely grateful for all the great gifts he received.  He had gotten music, clothes, a lot of WWE merchandise… and Britney and Stephanie had gotten him a beautiful wristwatch.  It had to have cost them at least a thousand dollars.

"Well, I guess that's it," he said when they were done, almost sadly.

"Oh, don't look so sad, you big baby.  You'll just have to wait till next year to get more gifts," Marissa said, lifting up a trash bag full of wrapping paper to take outside.  Shane crossed his arms and pouted as he leaned up against the front of the couch.  Moments later, Marissa came back in to grab the next bag.  She noticed a blue envelope laying on the hardwood floor.  

"Oh, look hun… you missed a card," she said, pointing to it.

Shane jumped up, grabbing the card off the floor.  Sitting back onto the couch, he studied the envelope for a moment.  It was blank… no "Happy Birthday Shane" written on the cover or anything.  Raising an eyebrow, he slowly peeled back the adhesive, sliding the card out.  Opening it up, Shane groaned, immediately recognizing the handwriting.

_Shane,_

    Happy birthday old man!  You know, I was going to give you a nice card, wishing you well and apologizing for all the drama I've caused you're family… but I wouldn't want to lie to you, would I?  No, I'm done with the playing nice, done with the forced smiles… done with all the bullshit.  I'm sick of playing this game, so I'll be the one to stop.  However, if you think that just because your father jumped ship on us that this is over and we'll back off… guess again.  This is FAR from over.  It won't be over until I get my girl back… and until Paul gets his.  And you know what?  Go ahead, show this to your daddy.  He won't be able to stop me… no one can.  You seem to be forgetting who I am, Shane.  I'm Brock Lesnar, and I ALWAYS get what I want.  I've gotten to the point where I just don't care anymore.  I'll do ANYTHING to get Britney back… even if it means taking out you, the pretty boy, and your dear old dad.  Time is ticking, Shane.  Paul and I are becoming impatient.  When this is all over with, Britney and Stephanie will be ours again… and we WON'T have it any other way.  Enjoy this time while it lasts, because once we get our shit together, it's over.  I know you think you're clever, what with all your "sources" watching over me, reporting everything I do to Britney and Adam back to you.  Well, I have my sources, too… and they're watching over you and your baby cousin and sister constantly.  Unlike you, I don't hide the fact that I have other people do my work for me.  Your problem, Shane, is that I'm always one step ahead.  That's why you never liked me, isn't it?  When Britney or Stephanie needed protection from a guy, you could always help.  If you couldn't physically beat the guy up, you outsmarted him.  Well, you certainly can't overpower me, but you also can't outsmart me… and that kills you, doesn't it?  I came along, and suddenly, you couldn't protect little Britney could you?  I'm always one step ahead… remember that… one step ahead.  And that eats you alive.  The only person who could ever make Shane McMahon nervous, or afraid… that's me.  Always one step ahead, never forgetting, but never looking back.  Now that I've said all I've needed to, try and enjoy your birthday… it could be your last.   

_                                                                        -Brock_

What do yah think?? Please let me know!!!  R&R!!!!!!


	30. Part 29

Alright, here's the next part.. I better see some reviews!!!!

PART 29

ROYAL RUMBLE- JANUARY 19, 2003

    Shane walked around the Fleet Center, on his way to his sister's office.  He knew that Britney and Charlene would be in there discussing their match.  Coming across the door that said "Smackdown GM," Shane opened the door and entered.  The three women looked up, smiling as they saw the brown haired man approach.    
  


"Hey Shane," they all said happily.

"Hey ladies, I know you're busy, but I have to talk to Britney.  Steph, Carly, can you guys excuse us?  It'll only be for a little bit," Shane insisted.  

"Sure," Stephanie said, glancing over at Carly.  "Come on, we'll go grab a cup of coffee."  The two women stood and exited the room.  After watching them leave, Britney turned to Shane.

"So… what's up?" she asked, sending him a knowing grin.

Sending her a matching grin, he replied, "Oh, nothing.  I just wanted to stop in and give early congratulations to the *new* women's champion."

"Thank you, Shane," she said, blushing slightly. 

Shane was so happy for his baby cousin.  Call him biased, but he thought that her and Amy were the best women wrestlers that the company had seen, ever.  He felt that they were the hardest working and most dedicated… and both completely deserving of the title.  Britney, like Lita, had only held the title on one occasion.  Shane thought it odd that Britney held the title only once while Trish Stratus had already held it three times.  Not that Trish was a good wrestler… she had done a complete 180 from her days as the manager of T and A.  But she had only just learned everything around the summer of 2001.  Even though Britney was about three years younger than the other blonde bombshell, she was a McMahon.  Britney had been around the business since she was born, and had taken her first bump when she was only twelve.

Shane almost laughed as he recalled how that had come about.  In 1992, Mark Callaway asked her what she wanted from him for her birthday.  She looked him square in the eye and replied, "I wanna get my ass kicked by the Undertaker."  Now, most kids would have probably gotten in trouble for saying that to one of their uncle's employees, but this was the WWF.  Mark though it was the cutest damn thing he ever heard so, under Vince and Shane's supervision, he had a mini-match with her.  He even let her pin him, and after a few rough punches, he called her the Princess of Darkness.  He said she took after him perfectly with her "soup bones".  She loved that, and since her mom died soon after, it was the best birthday she had, excluding this past one.  Shaking his head and clearing his thoughts, Shane refocused on Britney.  

"You okay?" she asked.  Her tone was a little concerned, a little amused.  "I thought I lost you for a minute there."

"Nah, I'm still here, just drifting.  I got a lot on my mind." 

While he was just thinking about that flashback he had, that wasn't what he was referring to in his statement.  He wasn't thinking of _her_ birthday, he was thinking of _his_… and the card he had gotten from Brock Lesnar.  As much as he liked to play the big bad cousin, he was scared.  What was worse was that he couldn't warn Britney… she would definitely be a thousand times more scared, and he just didn't want to see her like that.  

"Are you okay?" Britney asked suddenly.

"Yeah… I, uh… I don't like that he's winning tonight," Shane answered.  

Britney immediately knew he was referring to Brock, who was scheduled to win the Rumble Match.  As much as she felt the same way, she knew there was nothing they could do about it.  Ratings were down, and people were beginning to like Lesnar as a face.  And she knew that the entire wrestling world was anxiously expecting Lesnar vs. Angle for Wrestle Mania.  Even though Vince wanted to punish Brock, he still had a business to run.

"I know, Shane.  I don't like it either… neither does Vince.  But we have to think of the best interest of the company," she said.

"Fuck the business," Shane grumbled, standing up to exit the room.  

Britney's eyes widened in surprise as she eyed her cousin incredulously.  She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.  Shane scrambled out the door in a huff.  What the hell was that all about?  The McMahon family ate, drank, slept, and BREATHED the business.  Did Shane just say to fuck that same business?  _Something's up_, Britney thought.  _And I'm willing to bet it has something, if not a lot, to do with Brock Lesnar. _

TWO WEEKS LATER 

    Adam sat in his locker room, stretching for his upcoming match.  Suddenly, the door burst open, and Adam looked up to meet a pair of angry eyes.  What surprised him more than actually seeing the eyes was that they belonged to Shane McMahon.  

"Uh, hey Shane," he said tentatively, unsure of what was going on.

"Get in the chair, shut the fuck up, and LISTEN," Shane said sternly.  Adam's eyes widened, and he complied with Shane's orders.

"Okay.  I came into the building this morning, went into my office, and I found something of… particular interest.  It was from Brock Lesnar.  Now normally, I wouldn't even acknowledge something from him, but I couldn't help but notice the heading.  THIS is what I saw," Shane said, handing Adam a paper.  Adam scanned over the document.  At the top, it said "Tampa Bay Police Department."  As he read over it, his jaw dropped.

"Shane, I… I can explain this… it isn't what it sounds like," Adam said, recognizing the paper.  It was an old police report, from a couple years back… and it was filed against him.  

"Really Adam?  Then humor me.  Explain how a report that was filed against you for _domestic abuse_ is not what it sounds like," Shane said, crossing his arms eagerly.  Adam felt his mouth go dry… of all the things Brock Lesnar could expose about him.  Damn it, he was really good at using every bit of Adam's life to destroy him.  

"I, well… Alanah and I had a big fight… a really big one.  I left, cause I didn't want to be around her.  Well, she called the cops and told them that I hit her because she was pissed that I walked out on her.  I swear nothing happened.  In fact, the charges were dropped the next day because they knew I *didn't* touch her.  She's just… vengeful like that when she's angry.  I'd never hit her, or anyone Shane, I swear," Adam insisted. 

Shane nodded, eyeing the Canadian accusingly.  "Uh huh.  Well just so you know, I'm not so sure I believe you," he said firmly.  As much as he liked Adam, he wasn't so sure he could trust him anymore.  He wasn't so sure he could trust anyone anymore.  "And if you EVER try something like that with Britney…"

"What the fuck are you on?!  You KNOW I would NEVER touch Britney!  Seriously man, what the fuck is wrong with you lately?  I'm glad you've decided to be at all the shows to watch over everyone and all, but if you're gonna act like a little punk ass bitch maybe you should go back to your office!" Adam snapped suddenly. How the hell could Shane even believe that report knowing that Brock was the one who put it on his desk?  The blonde man was sick of playing nice… he was pissed.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!  I'm Shane McMahon, damn it!"

"Christ Shane, you sound like your father… and I'll talk to you however the hell I want to.  You just ACCUSED me of ABUSING my girlfriend!  I thought you were on MY side of this.  Oh, and don't you dare use that 'I'm Shane McMahon' shit on me!  How can you use your position in the company to offend me when just a few weeks ago you were running around crying 'fuck the business' to everyone?" he cried.  

Shane stood up, glaring angrily at the other man.  He was shocked, almost frightened at the way he was acting… he knew he should be angry and Brock, not Adam.  Still, his blood was boiling.  

"Who the fuck do you think you are!?  Just because Britney TOLD you what I said, you can't go and use it against me!  You and I are gonna have some serious problems if…"

"Obviously we already do!  The question is whether or not YOU plan on doing anything about it!" Adam said, just as angrily.  The Canadian couldn't believe his ears.  He didn't know what was going on with the boss's son lately, but he wasn't going to put up with it.  

"Oh, I'll do something about it!" Shane said as Adam stood to get in his face.  The two men exchanged words, their voices gradually growing louder and louder.  Eventually they started to shove each other a little, yelling every expletive known to mankind.  

"What the hell is going on here?" 

Shane and Adam looked up, eyes widening as they saw Britney glaring at them with her arms crossed in front of her chest.  Both men let go of each other immediately, backing off, embarrassed.  Moving her hands to her hips, she questioned them again.

"Well, what's going on?" she demanded.

"I…I…" both men started, turning slightly red.  

Shaking her head at them, she continued, "I don't know what the fuck is going on… but you two will have to settle it later.  Adam, we're up.  Shane, Vince wants to see you.  Both of you grow the fuck up and get where you're supposed to be."

Both men stared at her, wide-eyed and jaws dropped.  She watched Shane lower his head and sulk out the door.  She could tell by the way he was shuffling his feet that he felt like an ass.  _Good, he's certainly made one of himself._  Next, she eyed Adam, who was sending her the same shameful look that her cousin did.  Opening the door and stepping out into the hall, she turned and looked up at her boyfriend.  Shaking her head at him, she said, "You have some explaining to do."

ONE MONTH LATER 

    Chris was sitting in the catering room, not really doing much of anything.  He was thinking about the match he'd be having at Wrestle Mania 19 in a few weeks against Shawn Michaels.  He was so excited about facing Shawn… he'd wanted to do so for practically his whole career.  Still, his mood was somewhat gloomy.  Everything seemed to be changing.  Because of all the terrorizing Lesnar, Levesque, and Heyman were doing, all of his friends were slowly drifting.  Jay was constantly moody, Mark was constantly angry, Jeff was drifting from the business, and the divas were all scared to walk around the halls anymore.  Stephanie had seemed to bury herself into her work as an escape and, as a result, her relationship with Jay was suffering.  Adam and Britney hardly stuck around after matches anymore… they came in, had their matches, and left.  Matt and Amy were completely scarce.  Chris couldn't remember the last time he spoke to Amy outside of saying hi in a hallway or something like that.  Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Amy.  _Speak of the devil… _ 

"Hey Chris," she said, taking a seat next to him.

"Hi Amy," he said, upset that he was feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Hi Amy?  What, no, 'Hey Red, how goes it baby?' or anything like that?" she asked laughing.  She frowned when Chris gave an awkward laugh in reply.  "What's wrong?"

Turning to face her, Chris asked her, "Where have you been?" 

Raising an eyebrow, Amy answered, "What do you mean?  I've been around all this time."

"Sure, you've been 'around' Ames, but you haven't really been around.  A lot of shit's been going on lately, and you've been nowhere to be found.  You're a really close friend, not only to me, but to Jay, Stephanie, and especially Adam and Britney… where were you… no, where ARE you when we need you?" the Canadian asked, unable to shield the hurt from his voice.  The redhead looked away, trying to come up with a response.

"I, uh… I'm sorry Chris.  I didn't think you guys needed me that badly.  I… I've just been… busy, I guess," she answered.  She didn't like the uneasiness that was suddenly washing over her.

"Busy?  Doing what?  There's not much you can do when you're on the road that is more important than supporting your best friends while they go through what is possibly the toughest time in their lives.  I doubt you were too busy Ames," Chris said, seriousness in his eyes chilling the diva.  

"Look, I'm sorry Chris.  I should have been here… I don't know what more I can say but that," she offered.  She certainly didn't like ditching out on everyone, but she did what she had to do to get by.

"I want to know why.  Why, when your so-called best friend is heard crying in the hallway, do you turn the other way?  Why, when you know that all you need to do to bring them out of that shell is TALK to Adam and Britney, do you become so busy?  Why, at a time when it's crucial for all of us to stick together, do you insist on drifting away?" Chris asked, staring at her with deep blue eyes.

Amy shifted uncomfortably in her chair.  She sighed, running her fingers through her long auburn hair.  "I… I… I'm scared," she finally answered, a little timidly.  

Scared?  Chris softened his gaze a little bit… did she just say was scared?  Amy Christine Dumas, the queen of Extreme, was scared?  "What the hell of?" Chris asked with great curiosity.

"Of… of everything.  I mean, I've seen what Brock's done to Britney.  He's completely terrorized her… and she was one of the strongest people I know.  And he's supposed to love her?  If that's the way he treats people he loves, how would he treat me, a woman he's certainly not fond of?  I know I'm usually the tough one, the one who's not afraid of anything… but the thought of him getting his hands on me scares me shitless.  I know what he's capable of," she explained.  As Chris nodded, she took a deep breath and continued.

"Um, I… one time, I heard him and Paul Levesque talking.  He said he'd have no problem 'axing the redheaded bitch' if I got in their way.  So, I decided to get out of his way.  I know it was stupid and incredibly selfish, but I have to look out for myself, too.  I had to do what I felt was necessary.  I'm sorry I've been so distant lately, but I've been so confused.  I've never been scared like this before… of someone who never even said more than three words to me.  I just didn't know what to do," she said.  She looked away again.  Chris knew how she felt. 

"Hey, I understand.  Believe me, I've been getting that scared, helpless feeling a lot lately, I know what you're going through.  But still, you hurt everyone, especially Britney.  She feels like you kinda ditched out on us," he said.  Amy nodded… he was right.

"I guess I kind of did ditch you guys.  I… I need to fix this.  What do you think I could do to make it up to her?" she asked, hoping that Chris held that answer.  He eyed her for a moment, seemingly in thought.  Then, he met her hazel eyes, answering her question.

"Prove your loyalty to her."

**Okay.. there's the next chapter.. hope you guys liked it.  You gotta let me know what you think!  If I don't know what you think, I can't put more stuff up!!!!!  So, I'll update this if I get like 4 or 5 reviews, I'll put the next chapter up.  LOL, so anyway, please review and tell me what yah think.. finals are almost over so if you guys review a lot, I'll be able to put a lot more up!  33**


	31. Part 30

PART 30

WRESTLEMANIA

    Paul Levesque was in the locker room he was sharing with Paul Levesque.  It was odd to have only two men in one locker room, but there weren't many people who wanted to be around them.  Without Vince McMahon in their back pockets, no one pretended to like them anymore, either.  Paul didn't care though, they were the champions and they didn't need friends anyway.  

"Yo, I'm gonna go grab some food, you want anything?" Brock said, pulling on a t-shirt.

"Nah, I'm good.  I'll see you in a little bit," Levesque replied.

After Brock exited the room, Paul went back to plastering baby oil on his muscular body.  He heard the door open behind him and he snickered.

"Damn Brock, you sure as hell are a fast eater… you're not Brock."

"You're right, I'm definitely not Brock.  Nice to see you too, Paul," Shawn Michaels said, stepping into the room.

"What is it?" Paul asked, closing the lid on the oil and placing it on a nearby bench.  

"I wanted to say good luck tonight… on your match with Booker," Shawn said, coming to a stop and sitting down in a chair.  Crossing his arms over his bare, slicked up chest, Paul grunted.

"Sure, thanks.  And good luck against… uh…"

"Jericho."

"Yeah, that's is… oh, cut the shit Shawn.  What are you really here for?" Levesque asked.  The Heavyweight Champion was certainly not in the mood to play games.  

Leaning against the back of his chair, Shawn replied, "Oh, fine.  I came here because I wanted to talk.  I want to know what happened to us… it used to be me, you, and Kev… like the Three Musketeers.  What the hell happened?"  Paul glanced down at his former best friend, seeing the emotion in his eyes. 

"Well, you know how it goes.  Time's change, people change.  We just… drifted," he said, unable to keep the amused tone from leaking into his voice.

"Bullshit," Michaels retorted, causing Levesque to raise his eyebrows.  "You've changed.  Kev and I haven't drifted… YOU turned into an asshole.  I want the old Paul back… the Paul who used to go out and get drinks with us and get so smashed that we'd have to carry to your room.  The Paul I used to tell everything to, before he turned totally untrustworthy… I want the REAL Paul back."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe the 'old' Paul ISN'T the real Paul?  Maybe I'm BEING real right now.  You know what?  Maybe it's YOU that's changed.  In fact, I think you're just downright jealous of me!" Paul snapped cockily.

"Of what?  The fact that you had to fuck the boss's daughter to get recognized as a champion?  I mean, sure you're talented and all, but do you really think that you would have been so successful so fast without doing Stephanie?" Shawn shot back, hurt and angry at the same time.  Paul was *supposed* to be his best friend… and he was calling him jealous?  Paul narrowed his eyes angrily at Michaels.

"No, that's not quite it.  And you know damn well I'd of become champion with or without dating Stephanie.  MAYBE you're jealous of me because Kev's old, you're washed up, and *I* am still going strong," he said, grabbing his title belt and hoisting it over his shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Shawn stood, coming face to face with the Game.  "Washed up, huh?  Well, just remember that I'm not too _washed up_ to kick your ass, _Hunter_."

"Bring it, _HBK_."

Rolling his eyes again, Shawn shook his head.  "Not on your life, buddy.  I'm not stupid enough to jeopardize my career to fight you.  And trust me, I will no longer waste my time on scum like you… we're through."  With that said, he walked out of the room. 

LATER THAT NIGHT 

    Adam knocked on the door he was standing in front of, trying to shake the nervousness that was suddenly overcoming him.  Shaking his head, he firmly planted his feet on the ground, willing himself to remain where he was… he had to.  He held his breath as the door opened, and the man answering it gave him a confused look.

"Can I help you?"

Cursing himself for his slight shaking, he looked the man directly in the eye.  "Yes, you can help me, Brock."

Brock Lesnar stepped back in awe as the blonde man made his way into the room.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked, a mix of angry and confused.  What the hell could Copeland want with him?

"I want answers," Adam said plainly.

"And if I don't give them to you?  Will you beat me up?" Brock asked, smirking.  They'd been down this road before.

_If the situation calls for it…_   "No Brock, I won't.  Just answer my questions, okay?  I'm sick of all the fighting and all the bullshit," Adam said tiredly.  It was true… he wasn't really sure how much more he and Britney could take before they completely lost their sanity.  

  
Sitting down, Brock gazed up at Adam, an amused look plastered on his face.  "Alright, humor me.  Ask away," he said.  Adam sat down on the bench across from him.

"Okay, I understand why you've been doing all this shit to us," he started.  _Bullshit.  What I _understand _is that he's a crazy, possessive psychopath who would do anything to tear me apart from the woman I love, no matter how sadistic or rotten the task.  _"What I really want to know is how much… how far and how long do plan on taking this?  Haven't you done enough, scarred Britney enough to last a lifetime?" Adam asked.  His expression, his eyes, his voice… everything he was doing clearly showed the anguish and heartache he had gone through with her… and Brock was eating it up. 

"If she's not with me, apparently I *haven't* done enough," Brock finally answered, loving the way Adam's eyes narrowed at him.  Adam wasn't enjoying the conversation as much.  _Bastard._

"Come on Brock, we've been together for nine months… you aren't going to break us up.  Face facts, you two are done," he spoke firmly, forcing himself to steady his voice.  

The Canadian was surprised he even got as far as to knock… now he was having a conversation with him!  Even though he had to play strong for Britney's sake, the thought of being around Brock alone scared Adam.  Hell, Brock himself scared Adam.  Brock noticed this… he could smell fear like a shark could smell fresh blood.  A sly grin formed on his face.

"Now that you mention it, you're right.  I knew that Britney would never come back to me, especially when the two of you got together.  I've realized that no matter how much I pry and torture, I cannot tear you apart.  Still, that does not, by any means, make me feel like this is a lost cause.  I'm too smart for that… I've come up with other methods to get the job done," he said, watching a puzzled look cross Adam's face.

"What the hell does that mean?" the Canadian asked, though he wasn't sure he really wanted to hear the answer.

"You see, I realized that, after the months of shit Paul, Heyman, and I have put you through, it wasn't working.  You and her formed a sort of pattern.  Breakdown, rebuild, breakdown, rebuild… you get the picture.  So, I came to the conclusion that I could not tear you guys apart mentally and emotionally… which kind of upset me, because that is my specialty.  The only other way I can do it is physically," Brock explained. 

Adam was still confused.  He swallowed, trying his best to prevent it from being a visible gulp.  "I repeat, what the hell does that mean?"

Brock smirked, "Adam, Adam, Adam… don't you get it?  I told you… I'm going to tear you apart physically.  Here… since you don't seem to understand, I'll put it in basic terms.  You two can't be together if there's only one of you left alive, right?"  

His last statement chilled Adam to the bone.  He jumped up off the bench, mouth dropping open and going dry as ashes.  _Oh my God… he's going to kill me._  He could feel himself beginning to shake, and he desperately tried to hide it.  Damn it, he hated being afraid like this… but in all honestly, how could he not be?  He was just told he was going to be killed by a crazed madman.  

"Y-you're going to… you're going to kill me?" Adam asked, finally giving up the fight and allowing the fear to shine through his voice.  He very cautiously made his way to the door, wanting nothing more than to bolt the hell out of there.  _Calm down, he won't do anything to you now, not here… will he?  _

"Once again, you're not understanding me, Adam.  I am going to kill someone, but it's not going to be you… you do the math," Brock told him.  Adam's eyes widened.

"No.  No, you can't kill Britney.  Brock, you're crazy.  Please, don't do this to her, not her," he said, color draining from his face.

Brock wouldn't do that… he couldn't do that.  He couldn't believe he would try and take Britney, his Britney, away from him.  Adam's heart dropped out of his body at the thought.  What if she was taken from him?  How could he go on without her?  He couldn't… he'd die, too.  Maybe not literally, but in an emotional sense, he'd be dead nonetheless.  He knew he'd never ever be able to love someone like he loved her.  She was his life, the reason he got out of bed in the morning.

"I'm sorry Adam, I'm afraid that's the way it has to be," Brock said calmly. 

Adam glared at the man in complete disbelief.  He was just going to casually throw away someone's life… and he was completely unsympathetic to those that would greatly effect.  Brock Lesnar was a sick, twisted individual.  Calling his thoughts and actions disgusting was going easy on him.  Adam almost wanted to throw up.

"That's the way it has to be?  Are you fucking kidding me?!  These are people's LIVES you are screwing with Brock!  This is all a big game to you, but to the rest of us it isn't!  This is NOT a game, Brock.  If you… if you kill her, she won't come back!" he cried, his voice a little louder than he intended.  However, in the dire circumstances, he didn't really care.  Brock laughed, simply shaking his head.

"But this is a game, Adam… one that I take very seriously.  And YES, that's the way it has to be… I won't have it any other way.  I will allow NO ONE to be with Britney, especially not you.  You've been nothing but a pain in my ass since the day I got here.  At first, I was thinking about killing you… but I decided against it.  The only reason I hate you is because you took Britney from me… then I realized two things.  One, Britney would absolute loathe me if I ever did anything to you… and that would defeat the whole purpose of me getting rid of you in the first place.  Two, even if I did kill you, the man she's so in _love_ with, who's to say she won't eventually move on and find someone else?  I mean, no one thought she'd ever move on after me, right?  We certainly don't want THAT to happen… it would be another failure on my part… and you know how I hate to fail.  The only way I can assure no one is with my woman is to, well… make sure she's not around to BE with," Brock said, smiling with satisfaction.

Adam looked at him in absolute disgust.  "You bastard.  Just leave her alone!  You want me, fine, you can have me… stay away from her!  Stay the fuck…"

"You don't fucking get it, do you?" Brock screamed, causing Adam to shut up immediately.  "I've made my decision… there's nothing you can do about it!  I'm going to kill her, and you WON'T stop me.  I'll take you, anyone you tell, or anyone who gets in my way, and Paul and I will send you all six feet under.  Call me sick, demented, crazy, whatever… I don't care.  I AM all of those things.  Just remember, it was YOU who made me this way!  You STOLE my fucking life from me Adam… and now you, and everyone else who has wronged either me or Paul is going to pay.  The guilt's on your shoulders, not mine.  Just remember, all this was caused by you."

"So then kill me!  I'm begging you Brock, PLEASE!  You can do whatever the fuck you want to me, just please leave her alone," Adam begged desperately.  Brock laughed again, passing him as he headed toward the door.

Sorry Adam, I've gotta go.  I have to go meet up with Kurt Angle… our match is soon.  I'm so glad I got the opportunity to speak with you," he said.  Stopping at the door, he turned back to Adam and spoke again, "I'll tell ya what.  There's no doubt in my mind that I'll eventually have to kill Britney… but there is one thing you could do that could extend and preserve her life for a period of time… and who knows how much could happen over that time."

"Name it," Adam said.  He would do pretty much anything to save her time… maybe then they could figure something out.

"Break up with her."

Adam's mouth dropped open.  _Break up with her?  _In Adam's mind, breaking up with Britney did not fall into the "pretty much anything" category.  "What?  No way."

"You don't make the rules, Adam… I do.  I'm not asking you, I'm telling you… leave her.  If you want to see your precious Princess's face come, oh say around the next pay-per-view, you'll do it.  You should be thankful… I'm giving you a choice.  There's your ultimatum, Adam.  Axe the relationship… or I'll axe Britney."

Hey guys!  I was gonna wait a little while before I put this part up, but *someone* insisted that I do it TODAY. (LOL, and that someone knows who they are!)  So anyway, there's the next chapter.  Hope you guys like it… let me know what yah think!!! I'll update when I get a couple reviews… till then, hope you're enjoying this!! 33

**Ooh, by the way.. I'm not totally done with this story yet (obviously) but it is semi-close to being done.  Anyway, I'm really stuck on what to write next sOo if anyone has any ideas, I would really appreciate it if you sent them to me.  Just e-mail it to me.. xtremechick14@hotmail.com  and in the subject line just put "Fic Request" or "Fic Idea" or something.. LOL, like I said, I'd appreciate it.. Thanks!!  **


	32. Part 31

PART 31

SMACKDOWN

    Britney groaned as she was shoved into the corner of the ring post.  She was in the middle of a one-on-one match with Lisa Marie Varon, known in the ring as Victoria.  She was fairly new, but the girl sure as hell could wrestle.  She had just whipped her into the corner and was now kicking her in the stomach.  One or two of the kicks were a little stiff, and she leaned over, clutching her ribs.  Lisa noticed this, and leaned down as well.  Yanking Britney by the hair, so as to stay in her sometimes-crazy character, she pulled her close. 

"You okay hun?" she asked, concerned for her opponent's safety.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Britney replied, sneaking in a small smile for reassurance.

As much as she tried to hide it, her ribs never fully healed from way back when Brock injured them.  The pain subsided shortly after, and the women wrapped up the match nicely.  Britney picked up the pinfall, successfully defending her Women's Title.  She posed for the fans for a little while, and after Lisa Marie disappeared up the ramp, she slid out of the ring.  Making her way up the ramp, she thought of her upcoming angle.  She was so happy… Amy had been cleared to wrestle again.  She had made an appearance earlier that night regarding her return, and Britney and Lita were going to form some kind of tag angle with Jazz and Victoria.  Hopefully then, she and the redhead could figure out why their friendship had somewhat disintegrated.  Either way, they'd be spending more time together, and Britney was thankful for that.  She smiled, turning around and waving again.  The seven or eight minutes she had in the ring each night were Britney's favorite time of day.  Who wouldn't love hearing a bunch of strangers cheering out of respect and admiration for you?  Suddenly, she heard the fans starting to give a mix of boos.  She went to turn around to look at the Titantron to see what was going on.  Maybe they had cut to a promo… but she was supposed to be on till commercial.  She thought maybe it was Lisa Marie coming out to attack her again to waste time.  Confused, she turned around, smacking into a massive form.  Looking up, her eyes widened and she gasped as she saw who was there… Brock Lesnar.

The fans were confused, and as Brock began to back Britney down the ramp and towards the ring, they booed louder.  The fans were already beginning to boo because they knew Brock Lesnar was responsible for breaking Kurt's neck, sidelining him for 4-6 weeks.  That, on top of the way he was stalking down one of their favorite divas did not go over well with the people.  When she was backed right up against the ring, Brock placed his hands on her waist, lifting her up and sitting her down on the ring apron.  Eyes still wide, she slid into the ring, scrambling to the opposite corner of the ring in an attempt to get as far away from the man as she could.  He followed her, pressing her into the ring post with his body.  Running his index finger down her arm, Brock leaned towards her ear, speaking into it. 

"Hey baby, I got you now.  None of these people can help you… your boyfriend can't help you… it's just you and me… you're all mine," he whispered to her.

Britney shuddered as the tears filled her eyes.  Brock was right, Adam couldn't help her.  When she was heading to the ramp for her match, he was just heading to the showers… and if there was one thing she learned about her boyfriend, it was that he took long ass showers.  There was no way he was done yet.  Britney squeezed her eyes shut, hoping someone backstage was watching and would go get him… or better yet, she prayed that she would just disappear, melt into the ring.  The fans could see the tears running down her cheeks on the Titantron, and mostly all of them knew something was up.  Wrestling fans weren't stupid and the diehard ones could easily tell when something wasn't right… and something sure as hell wasn't right.  Brock looked up, flipping the crowd off, causing them to erupt in boos.  

"Britney, don't close your eyes… I want you to see me," he coerced ineffectively.  Frowning, he decided to take a more harsh approach.  "Britney, open your goddamn eyes NOW!" 

Lesnar laughed as her eyes shot open immediately.  All of a sudden, he leaned down and did something she was not expecting… he kissed her.  He roughly shoved his lips on hers, trying to force his tongue into her mouth.  She pressed her lips shut tightly for a moment, then came up with an idea.  She opened her mouth, to which Lesnar gave a contented sigh.  Instead of allowing him to continue kissing her, she bit down hard.  He backed off immediately, groaning in pain as he brought his fingers to his lips… the little skank had drawn blood! 

"You little bitch!" 

Britney winced as Brock sent her an animalistic look.  As he lunged at her, she cried out, but it was no use.  In a split second he had her on the ground, nailing her with a combination of punches and slaps.

"You stupid slut… you actually thought you could get away with leaving me," he said, adrenaline pumping at the deafening chorus of boos.  _If only these people knew that their booing me is only making me more aggressive. _

He grinned as she scrambled to the corner, trying to prop herself up on the bottom rope.  He stepped back, allowing her to try and stand, only to knock her down again.  He continued to do so for a while, stand up, knock down, stand up, knock down… he was really getting a kick out of it.  As if that wasn't enough, he sat down in front of her and wrapped his fingers around her neck.  _Oh God, oh God, oh God… _the thoughts flooded her mind as she realized that he was cutting off her air to the point where she couldn't breathe.  She desperately pried at his fingers but he wouldn't let up.  She felt herself getting faint, and as things began to go black, she swore it was all over.  Suddenly, two feet planted into Brock's back, propelling him forward and causing him to release the grip on her throat.  He was at his feet instantly, turning to see who had interrupted his attack.  Seeing who had dropkicked him in the back, he smirked.  _You little bitch._  He gave them a swift kick in the stomach and powerbombed them with little effort.  Brock groaned and rolled out of the ring.  He opted on going through the crowd, as they would be a hell of a lot easier to deal with than the guys in the back.  He hopped over the barricade, walking through the mass of people, up the steps and right out of the arena.  He had been planning this since that morning, so he had already put all of his stuff in his car.

Back in the ring, Britney gasped for air, sucking in all the oxygen she could get.  She held her head for a minute… it was starting to hurt like a bitch.  After she caught her breath, she looked to the middle of the ring, trying to see which one of the guys it was.  Though she was kind of dizzy, she could still plainly tell that it wasn't a man in the ring with her… it was a diva.  She tried to get up, but she was felt way too dizzy, so she rested back against the rope again.  As she saw some of the guys make their way to the ring, she tried to make out who the woman was… all she could see at the moment were her feet.  Glancing to her right, she saw Adam approaching her.  He was wearing only a pair of jeans, and his hair was dripping wet… somebody must have gotten him out of the shower. 

"Baby?  Are you alright?" he asked frantically as she looked over to see Chris and Mark on the other side of her. 

"Yeah… I'll be fine," she said, trying to sit up in an attempt to see who was in the ring with her.  Finally, she saw Matt and Jeff go over to lift the woman up, and she saw her hair… red hair.

"Amy."

THREE DAYS LATER- SUNDAY 

    Brock sat in Vince's makeshift office, waiting for him to return.  He knew he was in major ass trouble when a producer told him Vince wanted to see him as soon as he got in the arena.  He heard the door open, and he turned to greet his boss.

"Hi Mr. McMahon!" he said cheerily.  Vince, however, did not seem to be in the least bit pleased.  In fact, Brock wasn't so sure he'd ever seen him look so angry, at least not at him.

"Shut up," Vince growled.  "What the HELL do you think you were pulling Thursday night?!"  He slammed his briefcase down on the desk.  Brock smirked… he'd been preparing for this conversation all weekend.  Paul Levesque had told him the best thing to do was to stay calm, that doing so would frustrate and annoy the hell out of Vince.  

"I just thought I'd add a little flare to the show.  Besides, the fans were already booing me for breaking Kurt's neck at Wrestlemania… I just solidified my heel turn by attacking someone dear to all the fans' hearts… Britney," he said calmly.  He smiled innocently, as though he'd made a great creative move.  

"Did it ever occur to you that we have a creative team?  It's THEIR job to write the show, not YOURS.  Your only job is to FOLLOW what they write, not improvise and act like a madman in the ring like you own the company," Vince said.

"Um, no offense Vince, but creative sucks.  They haven't written a decent storyline since like two years ago.  Need I remind you that our segment was the highest rated on the show… somebody must have been watching," Brock said.

"Just because ratings went up does not mean it was good television.  I've gotten a shit load of e-mails and threats from the PTC and from UPN saying that if _I_ pull a stunt like that again we'd be off TV for good.  This is not the kind of publicity I need!" the Chairman said angrily.

"But I thought any publicity was good publicity… and really Vince, isn't it all about ratings to you?  Isn't what happens to your company more important than what happens to your family?" 

Vince groaned, "No amount of ratings makes up for what you did.  The fans, not to mention everyone in the back, were appalled by what you did.  Nothing about creative, in any way, justifies you putting your hands on another employee with an intention of hurting them… especially a diva, and ESPECIALLY my niece!  I've given you plenty of warnings… I'm through with them.  You're lucky that I can't suspend you because you're the champion and we need the champion for TV.  But I AM fining you… fifty thousand dollars."  He didn't feel that the amount was large enough, but it was the board's decision, not his, and the board didn't know about any of Brock's previous scuffles.  Had it been Vince's choice, he would have charged a hell of a lot more.

Brock raised an eyebrow at that.  "Fifty grand, huh?  So, that's the going rate for hitting your precious little niece.  I'll tell ya what… how bout I give you a hundred grand instead, you GIVE me Britney, and we'll call it a day," he suggested.  Vince gave Lesnar a cold stare.  He could feel his blood beginning to boil, the anger rising from the pit of his stomach.  Standing up, he slammed his hands down on the desk.  

"That's it!  I've had it up to here with your bullshit!  Over the last few months, I have really seen your true colors, Brock.  Trust me, I will NEVER make the mistake of listening or trusting any word that comes out of your goddamn mouth ever again!  Your fine slips will be mailed home… now, get the fuck out of my office!" Vince screamed, his face turning shades of purple and red.  Brock simply smiled and nodded.  He stood and left the room, not saying another word.  Vince was almost surprised that he didn't have a catty one-liner to throw at him as he walked out the door.  A few moments after Lesnar exited the room, Shane McMahon entered.

"Dad, you'll never believe what Steph and I did!" he said excitedly.  Willing to try anything to get him out of the foul mood he was just put in, he obliged.

"Okay, shoot.  What do you want to show me?" the Chairman asked eagerly.

Shane's grin widened as he handed his dad a piece of paper. 

"This a script for Raw tomorrow, specifically Brock Lesnar's segment.  Stephanie and I came up with it this morning and she presented it to the writing team and they agreed to it.  I say we don't show him what happens after his promo… let him be surprised, just like Britney was when he came down Thursday on Smackdown.  We really should do this, Dad… it'll give him a taste of his own medicine."

Vince read over the script.  The first part showed Brock Lesnar's promo, in which he went out to the ring to explain his actions from the previous week.  He scanned that over quickly, going to the part _after _the promo with great interest.  As he read what was going to happen, and who was going to be involved, he smiled.  He sent Shane an evil grin and laugh that only Vincent Kennedy McMahon was capable of.

"I love it," he said.  _Oh yeah… Brock has a thing or two coming to him… and he won't know what hit him._

**Hey guys!  Here's the next part… you know how it goes… let me know what you think, and I'll post the next chapter!  I'm glad everyone's enjoying it!  Remember, if you have any requests, e-mail them to me (my address is in the last chapter).  Let me know what you all thought!!!  33**


	33. Part 32

PART 32

LATE THAT NIGHT

"Baby?" Britney called into the darkness.  She had only just returned from the club she was at with Chris, Amy, Jeff, Matt, and Trish a little while ago.  She had only been laying in bed with Adam for about five minutes, and the uncomfortable silence was already unbearable.

"Hmm?" he asked.  His voice sounded calm, but the rapid heartbeats against her back told Britney a different story.  She hesitated for a moment.  

"Are… are you okay?" she asked finally.  Her boyfriend just hadn't been the same for about a week now.  In fact, he had been unusually quiet and distracted since the night of Wrestlemania.  She didn't know what could possibly be going on.  She was sure, though, that what happened to her on Thursday night didn't help to calm his nerves in the least bit.  Sighing, Adam pulled his arm from around her waist and sat up. 

"What do you mean?" he asked, though he knew he wouldn't be able to keep up the charade for too long.

"Well, you've been acting… different lately.  You're so quiet, and so distant, and… well, I'm worried about you.  I mean, you've been like this for a week now… I just don't want to see you upset.  Please, Adam, if something's up, tell me," Britney said, propping herself up next to him.  Adam sighed loudly, _if you only knew what was up._  He knew what he had to do, and he knew he had to do it soon, but he just wasn't sure if he could do it.  He'd spent days and hours thinking this over.  In fact, it was all he thought about while Britney was out that night.  Deciding on whether or not he would listen to Brock and leave her was without a doubt the hardest decision he would ever make.  

"Brit, I… it's nothing.  Just a bunch of stupid shit, that's all.  A lot of dumb stuff's been bothering me lately, and then with what happened Thursday, I don't know, I've just been a little depressed," he lied.  _Yeah, right.  A "little" depressed is a million times too weak to describe how I feel right now.  I can't do this… there's no way I can do this to her.  But her life might depend on it… God, how the hell did I get into this mess?_

"So, tell me about it.  What kind of stupid shit is going on?" she asked, a wave of uneasiness coming over her as she realized he wouldn't look at her… like he _couldn't_ look at her.  _What the hell is going on?_

Staring at the ceiling, the Canadian replied, "Don't worry about it, Brit!  I don't wanna talk about it!"  Britney frowned at him.

"Adam, that's not fair!  You know how many times you've made me talk when I didn't want to.  You have to tell me, that's not fair," she complained.  

Adam closed his eyes momentarily.  _Yeah, well, life's not fair sometimes.  _Britney looked over at him, and she noted the almost pained expression he was wearing.  Uh oh… she didn't like where this was going.  Adam's heart was going a mile a minute, but his brain had completely frozen.  He didn't know what in hell he was going to do.  The blonde man wanted nothing more than to just grab her and kiss her, tell her everything would be fine… but it wouldn't be fine.  He wanted nothing more than to hold her and make her believe that all of this would just go away… but it wouldn't go away.  If things went Brock's way, it wouldn't be over until she was dead.  _"Axe the relationship… or I'll axe Britney."  _He couldn't get Brock's voice out of his head.  That one statement had been ringing in his brain all damn week.

"Adam, please say something," she begged.

When he didn't respond, she pulled her knees up to her chest and gazed out the window, a lost expression on her face.  She didn't know what to do.  Adam opened his eyes and glanced over.  As the silver moonlight lit up her face, he studied her intently.  She was so beautiful… like an angel or something.  She was also so innocent, so unassuming and unsuspecting.  If she had any inclination as to what he was thinking, he didn't know what she'd do.  He knew it would crush her… it was already crushing him.  He hated being torn like this.  He absolutely hated the idea of breaking it off with her to meet Brock Lesnar's demands.  Hell, he absolutely hated himself for even thinking about all this.  _Axe the relationship or I'll axe Britney._  He had to do it… he had to protect her.  But God, how the hell wasn't he going to do it?  The mere thought of being apart from her wrenched at his heart.  This wasn't fair… _I can't do it._  He loved her so much… he just couldn't do it.  _Think about her safety, Adam._  The Canadian had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.  He took a deep, shaky breath.

"Brit, I…" he started, causing her to turn and face him.

Their eyes met, and he choked.  _You're an asshole.  Don't do it… there are other ways to protect her. Don't do it._  Adam was even more perplexed than before.  At first, this whole thing had been a battle between his mind and his heart.  Now, his mind was going back and forth, like it was playing tricks on him.  How the hell do you make a sound decision when all your thoughts contradict each other?  They kept their eyes locked intensely.  _God, I love her._  Suddenly, it was like he underwent a system failure… everything crashed down on him.  Britney's life depended on him, and he had no clue as to how to defend it.  Someone's _life_ was in his hands, and he had no idea what to do to save it.  It was too much for him to handle.  Finally, after all these months, it was just too much for him.  Everything inside of him exploded.  Tears sprung to his eyes and he fell apart.

"I'm going crazy Brit!  I can't do this anymore!  I… I just can't take it!  I… I talked to Brock last week," he said, her eyes widening, half at what he said, half at the tears sliding down his cheeks.  "He… he gave me an ultimatum.  He told me I had to leave you, and if I didn't… well, he would make Smackdown look like a piece of cake.  I just… I don't know what to do anymore.  I love you so much, and I want to be with you more than anything, but I don't know.  If my being with you is going to get you hurt… I just don't know."  

He fell forward, leaning into her as she wrapped her arms around him.  She had never seen him like this before, and it was scaring the hell out of her.  She sat there with him for a minute as he sobbed against her, when suddenly, what he said hit her.  She came to the realization of what his statement meant.  Tears escaped her eyes as well.  _He's going to leave me._

"W-what are you saying?  Adam, please don't do this… don't tell me you're going to leave me.  You can't… you can't leave me," Britney said in utter disbelief, pushing him off of her as she did so.  He wouldn't break up with her… he couldn't.  Didn't he know she would just die?  He was like her oxygen, her life support… without him, she was nothing.

Adam's heart sunk as she pleaded with him.  _Bastard.  Stop right now… don't hurt her anymore, you stupid bastard.  _He met her eyes once more, looking away instantly when he saw the tears falling out of them.  He was breaking her heart already, and he hadn't even said anything yet.  If only he could make her see that this was killing him too.  It was easily the hardest thing he'd ever attempted to do in his life.  

"No, no… Britney, I don't want to leave you.  I just want you to be safe sweetheart," he said honestly.  He looked up again and saw her expression growing to desperate.

"Well than keep me safe!  I don't feel safe anywhere else but with you, Adam.  You can't leave me… he'll… he'll get me if you leave Adam.  Please, just please stay.  I'll do anything for you… just please don't leave me," she begged.  As she looked at him with those big, teary blue eyes, he melted.  Fresh tears filled his eyes as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her as both of them broke down.  _How the hell did I ever think I could go through with this?  I've officially lost my mind if I thought I could actually leave her._  

"Jesus, Brit… I'm staying.  I'm staying.  I'm not going anywhere baby, I swear.  I'll never leave, you, ever.  I…"

"I love you, Adam."

The Canadian did a double take… what?  Did she just… 

"W-what did you just say?" he asked in shock.  His heart, which had been beating rapidly, skipped a beat.  He hoped to God that he had heard her right.

Sending him a teary, almost shy smile, she repeated herself, "I… I love you."  

A wide grin formed on Adam's face as his heart swelled with pride.  He forgot everything that had just happened, everything that had been happening for the past week and got completely swept up in that moment.  He knew what it meant for her to being saying that to him… she had to have meant it.  She wouldn't give out those three words if she didn't mean it… she couldn't.

"Oh Brit, that's great!  I mean… you… you… I… oh man.  I love you too," he said.  

Tilting her face up, his brought his down to kiss her softly.  As their kiss deepened, he pulled her into his lap.  After a few minutes, he flipped them over so that he was on top of her.  Her hands went up and around his neck, twisting into his long hair.  She pulled the rubber band out of his hair, letting it fall down over his shoulders, shielding her from everything.  His hands went to her waist and his mouth moved to her neck. 

A few hours later, they lay in each other's arms, Britney's head resting on Adam's bare chest.  The young diva sighed contentedly as Adam lazily stroked her back.  It was a very peaceful, blissful moment, much calmer than it had been earlier.  A summery breeze blew into the room as Adam grabbed Britney's hand, entwining her fingers with his.

"I'm so glad you didn't leave," she said softly.  The tall man laughed softly.  He was glad, too.  _Screw what Brock Lesnar wants… this is what _I_ want… and that's all that matters._  

"I never would," he said.  "And I never will.  You're stuck with me forever… I love you, Princess."

RAW-THE NEXT NIGHT 

"So, you all understand what it is you have to do?" Vince McMahon asked the group of wrestlers in the locker room.  As the men nodded, one of them spoke up.

"So wait… Brock has no idea any of this is going to happen right?"

"Right," Shane McMahon replied.

"And we're just going to go out there and literally beat the shit out of him?" another man asked.

"Right," Shane replied, grinning as he saw the nods of approval throughout the room.  He knew that the men partaking in this little segment were just as happy as he was about it.  _Finally someone… or many someone's… will teach that damn punk a lesson.  After tonight, he'll know this… you don't fuck with a McMahon._

"Alright," Vince cut in, "Brock's promo is almost over.  You should all head to the guerilla position now.  Just do everything we said, and make sure the specified people have a chance to do what was written for them."  The men stood up, smirking as they filed out of the room.  When they were gone, Shane turned to his father.

"Lets go find the big monitor… this I gotta see."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Down the hall, Amy burst into the women's locker room.  She had also known what would be going down in a few minutes.  She probably wasn't supposed to know, but Matt and Adam were so excited earlier that they just told her the whole thing.  She couldn't wait to see what happened to Lesnar… especially after Smackdown, where he hurt Britney AND powerbombed her for trying to help.

"Brit!  Where are you?" she called into the room.  _She better be in here._

"Right here!" she replied from the floor where she was sitting, going through her bag.

"Come with me… you have to come watch the monitor," the redhead said, pointing to the door.  She frowned when she saw the look of disinterest on her best friend's face.  Amy knew that Britney was well aware of the fact that Brock was out in the ring.

"I'm, um… not particularly interested in this promo Ames," she stated plainly.    
  


"Trust me, it'll be worth your while.  Matter of fact, all of you come on… you'll be glad to see this, I promise.  Shane and Vince are already on their way there," Amy answered.  Britney sighed, giving in and standing up… if Shane was going to be out there, she supposed it would be okay to go.  Watching the young woman stand and follow the redhead, the other divas stopped what they were doing and headed out with them.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Out in the ring, Brock was finishing up his promo.  He had gone out their to "explain his actions" from Smackdown the past Thursday night.  He was a little surprised creative actually played off of what he did to Britney.  That meant he could play off of what they wrote for him to see, make a little more into his own words.  Vince had to be fuming right about now.  There was a deafening round of boos going through the arena as Brock explained why he attacked Britney.  The writing team had put together a little speech about he wanted Britney but she turned him down time in and time out, and that she confided in her friend, Edge, about the whole matter.  Brock stated that along the way, she decided that she was in _love_ with Edge and that he would not allow that to happen.  Brock thought the explanation to eerily resemble the truth of their situation.  The relationship Brock spoke of on TV was close to their real-life relationship, if you could call it that.  He also went on to say that he realized that maybe attacking her in the ring was a little too drastic.

"So, I'd like to conclude by saying that I am sorry…" he watched and listened as the boos decreased a little.  "…sorry that that bitch had the balls to turn down Brock Lesnar for a loser like your precious Edge."  The boos increased rapidly, and Brock smirked.  His work for the night was done.  He headed to the other side of the ring, dropping his mic in the center on the way.  As he was going through the ropes a burst of cheers erupted, causing him to freeze… they couldn't be cheering for him.

As he stepped back into the ring and looked to the top of the ramp, he immediately realized why everyone was cheering.  At the top of the ramp a group of wrestlers had formed.  Though the pack was a mix of faces and heels, the fans knew why they were all out there, and they went nuts.  To them, they saw Edge, Christian, Jericho, the Hardys, Undertaker, Kane, Rhyno, RVD, the Dudleys, John Cena, Rocky, Rey Mysterio, Hurricane, Test… everyone you could possibly want to see in a whole night, let alone one segment.  To Brock, however, it was a large pack of guys who hated him for what he did to Britney and for scaring the divas… all led by Adam Copeland.  

Brock swallowed nervously as he watched the men glare down at him from the top of the ramp.  They made their way towards him, slowly at first.  Adam stopped in the middle of the ramp, allowing the other men to run past him. He would certainly get his chance with Lesnar… for now, he just wanted to watch.  Wrestlers entered the ring from all directions as to ensure that Brock had no way of escaping the ring.  He looked at the men in disbelief… so this was Vince's idea of a punishment.  He had to get out of the ring… though it didn't seem that that would be an easy task.  He couldn't go straight, as Mark Callaway and the Dudley's were directly in front of him.  Glenn Jacobs and the Hardys were on the left and Terry Gerrin and Jay and Chris were on his right, not to mention the superstars behind them and the ones waiting outside the ring.  Brock turned around to see who was behind him, and he smiled.  There was only one man there, and that man happened to only be about 5 foot 3.

"Rey Mysterio… come on Rey-Rey, be a good kid and get out my way so I can…"

"Fuck off Brock," Mysterio replied nastily, bringing his leg up and kicking Lesnar as hard as he could in the groin.  "That… was for Britney."

As soon as Brock keeled over in pain, the men jumped, attacking from every direction.  As Adam slowly made his way to the ring, he took great pleasure in watching Lesnar get the shit stomped out of him.  As first, it was very chaotic, with everyone taking a shot in where they could.  When it became obvious that he wasn't fighting back, some of the guys backed off, allowing each other to take hits in small groups.  Mark Lamonica, Devon, and Drew had Brock pinned to the floor, allowing John, Shane Helms, and Glenn to kick him pretty much everywhere.  Those men then slid out of the ring, watching as Jeff, Matt, and Rob approached him.  Everyone knew Rob had the swiftest, stiffest kicks in the business, so Matt grabbed one of Brock's arms and Jeff grabbed the other, and Rob backed up and nailed him in the face.  

Adam grinned widely as he watched the kick… he was almost positive Rob had broken Lesnar's cheekbone.  If only Kurt had been here… he could have taught the kid a thing or two about wrestling, that's for sure.  He talked to the Olympian earlier in the day, and he had said that he felt horrible about not being able to be there to join in, but his doctors simply wouldn't allow it, not a week after surgery.  He paid close attention as Jeff kneeled down and got in Lesnar's face, trying to make out what the younger Hardy was saying.

"I have one thing to say to you, Brock.  I will tell you what I've so many times told your friend Paul Heyman.  I find it funny that people call _me_ a freak when there are people like _you_ walking around in it," the rainbow haired man said angrily, standing up and exiting the ring with his brother and Rob.

Next, Dwayne and Terry came to the center of the ring.  As Brock attempted to stand, staggering slightly, they stood on either side of him, taking turns punching him in the jaw.  That couldn't be good for his cheekbone.  They realized that they were running on a clock, so after a few moments they reluctantly slid out of the ring, allowing Chris and Jay to come to the center of the ring.  The two Canadians had been discussing what they'd be doing all night… they wanted not only to hurt Brock, but also to hurt Brock's ego.  Jay went behind him and grabbed his arms, twisting them and holding them tightly behind his back.  

"Get the fuck off me!" Brock screamed as he struggled to free himself from Jay's grasp.  This was humiliating… he was being held down by a man who once through temper tantrums in the ring when he lost a match.  Jay smirked at him.

"I really don't think you're in the position to be making decisions, Brock.  Now, shut the fuck up and listen to what Chris has to say," he said, watching as Chris went and picked up the microphone that Brock had dropped earlier.

Coming to the center of the ring, Chris taunted him, "Ooh everyone look, look at big, tough Brock now!  Not so big and bad now, are we Brock?  Listen you little assclown, you wanna go out in the ring and embarrass people?  You think it was funny to go out in the ring and embarrass and hurt Britney last week?  Maybe it's time for YOU to be embarrassed!" 

With that, he shifted the mic to his left hand, using his right to slap Brock across the cheek.  The crowd loved that, and they reacted favorably, even though Chris was usually a heel. 

"I know I'm supposed to be a bad guy and she's supposed to be a good guy, and good guys and bad guys don't usually get along… but damn it, Britney is one of my best friends!  This…" he slapped him again, "…is what you get for screwing with one of Chris Jericho's, or better yet, Chris Irvine's best friends!"

The crowd cheered even louder, and as Jay continued to hold Brock for Chris to slap and add a few punches, the Y2J chants started.  When Jay saw Mark head towards them, he let go, allowing Brock to fall to the mat.  He motioned to Chris that their time was up.  The two blonde men exited the ring as the big Texan stepped in front of Lesnar.  Brock felt a shadow cast over him and he looked up, his stomach dropping as he saw Mark Callaway.  _Oh shit… this guy nailed Adam in the eye… and he LIKES him!  Shit, I am in so much trouble.  _He winced in pain as he was picked up and launched into the corner, the same corner he had Britney in the previous week.  He closed his eyes in pain as Mark starting wailing on him with lefts and rights.

"You… no good… son of a… bitch.  You just… couldn't keep… your grubby paws… off her, could you?  Look at you… you little bitch.  Now so big and tough now… are we?" he said, pausing after every couple of words to punch him.  He stopped punching him, allowing him to drop down to the second rope, leaning on it for support.  He grabbed Brock by the throat, laughing as he saw the blood dripping from his nose… he hoped he broke the damn thing, to go along with that cheekbone that wasn't looking so good.  Still holding him at the neck, Mark leaned down and picked up the mic that Chris dropped.

"If you only remember one thing from me, Brock, I want you to remember this," Mark called.  "If you EVER lay a finger on her… no, if you so much as THINK of laying a finger on her, what happened to you today will be a walk in the goddamn park."  He turned to walk away, but then a thought occurred to him.  He remembered Britney's ribs, which had never properly healed.  Before exiting the ring, the Deadman turned back to Brock, kicking him in the ribs with all his might, eliciting a sharp cry of pain from the WWE Champion.  Brock fell to the ground, clutching his ribs in agony.  He shut his eyes, thanking God it was all over.  Opening his eyes, his stomach dropped again… it wasn't over.  Towering above him was one very angry looking tall, blonde Canadian.

"Hi Brock," Adam said, smiling tauntingly.  

As Brock struggled to get up, Adam kicked him… not hard, with just enough force to knock him back to the mat.  They continued to do so for a few moments, like a little game of cat and mouse.  Every time Brock would get about half way off the ground, Adam would give him a little boot and knock him right on his ass again.  Then, Adam dropped to his knees, kneeling directly in front of Brock.  He thought of grabbing the microphone that everyone had been using, but he decided against.  He wasn't out to embarrass Brock, as the others were… he was there to just flat out hurt him.  

"Not so fun, is it?  It isn't fun to get the hell beat out of you by a force that's so much stronger than you, is it?  It's not fun to get knocked down every time you try to get up.  Well, that's exactly what you did… that's exactly what you did to Britney," Adam said, stopping to kick Lesnar in his most likely bruised ribs.

He looked down at Brock… he was a total mess.  Swollen cheekbone, blood pouring out of his nose, a bleeding mouth, a nasty bruise forming under his left eye… he was definitely going to be in some pain tomorrow morning.  Then, for what Adam perceived to be the first time since they'd met, they locked eyes.  It was the first time they'd held gaze for more than two seconds.  He was locking eyes with the man who had caused his Princess such sheer physical and emotional pain and suffering.  The enjoyment he was feeling was suddenly shifting to white-hot anger.  

He had visions of what happened on Thursday.  He could picture Brock strangling Britney in the ring, where no one could protect her… if only he hadn't gone into the shower.  He didn't see what happened live, as when Matt and Rob ran into the showers to tell him what was going on, he didn't take any time to watch.  He simply threw his pants on and got out there.  Shane had shown him a tape of the attack… Adam had to tell him to turn it off… he couldn't bear to watch that bastard wrap his monstrous hand around her tiny neck and try to squeeze the life out of her.  Suddenly, Adam got a look in his eye… that animalistic glare that Brock was so familiar with.  Brock's eyes widened as much as they could at the sight… for the first time in awhile, he was legitimately scared.

"Adam… please… don't… you guys win for tonight.  Be reasonable," he said in fear, hoping Adam's compassion would keep him from doing anything crazy.  

Adam shook his head in disbelief.  _Be reasonable… what a crock.  _Taking both of his hands, he wrapped his fingers around Brock's neck tightly, squeezing the life out of him.  The crowd went crazy, loving the way Brock kicked and flailed his arms, desperately trying to get Adam off of him.  The Champion felt himself going faint.  The guys watched for a little while, but when they saw that Adam wasn't letting up, they knew they had to stop him… he would kill him if they didn't.  It took Jay, Chris, Matt, Jeff, and Mark to finally pry Adam off of Brock.  Lesnar fell to the ground, passing out from loss of blood and lack of oxygen.  As he assured his friends he was done attacking, they let him go.  He slowly walked back towards Brock, kneeling in front of him.  To be safe, Jay and Mark stayed right behind him, in case he decided maybe he _wasn't_ done attacking.  Adam eyed Brock for a moment, hoping he could hear what he was saying.

"If you still want to play games Brock, there's a slight problem for you… I'm ready for them."

**Hey guys… here yah go.. you know the drill… let me know what you think, and I'll put the next part up. 33**


	34. Part 33

PART 33

AT A HOSPITAL- TUESDAY MORNING

    Brock Lesnar opened his eyes to find himself in a very white room.  His head pounded and his whole face felt like it was blown up, not to mention the fact that his ribs felt like someone had taken about eight knives and stabbed him with them. 

"Ooh man… where the hell am I?" he asked no in particular.  He didn't really think anyone was in the room with him at the moment.

"Brock!  Oh, thank God you're awake!" a female voice called.  Brock turned to his side, immediately recognizing the voice.  He couldn't believe she would actually be here, wherever here was, anyway.

"Mom?  What the hell are you doing here?" Brock asked, confused.

"My son is in the hospital, of course I'd be here," she replied.  She came over to his bed, sitting next to him on top of the white sheets.

All of a sudden, Brock realized that he was indeed in a hospital… and he recalled what had happened to put him there.  Those damn punks jumped him in the ring, beating the living hell out of him.  Then they let that damn Adam Copeland choke him until he was seeing spots, and THEN they left him to pass out in the corner of the ring!  They couldn't even fight fair… they had to send out at least fifteen men to kick his ass instead of one.  Lesnar supposed it wasn't really a fair fight when he attacked Britney, but still… the circumstances were different.  Turning his head, he eyed his mother for a minute.  She was aware of all that Brock had done to Britney and all his previous girlfriends, yet she still supported him and was at his side unconditionally.  Brock thought it was nice in a way, but it was also pretty damn annoying.  Sometimes he wondered why she wouldn't just follow his dad's lead and stay out of his life.  He was 25 years old, it wasn't like he needed a mother or father anyway.

"Well, what about Dad?  Does he know you're out here to see me?" he asked curiously.  Brock's father didn't exactly like him.  In fact, he practically disowned him after he'd witnessed Brock hitting one of his girlfriends, not Britney.  He'd also caught Brock about to hit Britney, but he stopped him when his fist was in the air.  Needless to say, Mr. Lesnar wasn't too fond of his son.

"Yes, I told him, and he wasn't thrilled with the idea.  But I don't really care… I just _had_ to see after what those horrible men did to you, Brock.  And I wanted to kill that Edge character for trying to choke my baby…"

"Would you shut up!?" Brock interrupted, pushing her away.  "I'm NOT your baby… I never was!  And don't worry about what Adam Copeland did to me!  We just have problems with each other because he's with Britney and he knows about us."

Mrs. Lesnar shook her head.  "That doesn't give him a right to try and choke the life out of you!  Why don't you complain to Mr. McMahon about this?  He was always a reasonable guy," she suggested.  

"MOM, it was Vince's idea in the first place," Brock told her, to which her eyes widened.

"Well that's not right!  He… he can't do that!  You need to file a complaint against the company or him or some-"

"MOM!  Shut the hell up!" he yelled, wincing as his head pounded.  "Did you not SEE Smackdown?  I _attacked_ Britney, remember?  That wasn't staged, I just did it!  I choked her first, so I guess Adam felt he had a right to defend his girlfriend!  You know what… here's an idea, Mom.  Stay the fuck out of my life."

"Brock, I… don't talk to me like that, please.  What's happened to you?  Where is my son?  What happened to my baby boy?  I raised you to be a man, not this… this… monster," she asked with obvious hurt, a tear working its way down each of her cheeks.

"He must have bumped his head along the way."  The Lesnars looked up to see Paul Levesque standing at the door.

"Hey man," Brock said gratefully.  _Maybe now I can finally get rid of this woman._  

"Brock, we have a little business to talk about.  Sorry, Mrs. Lesnar, you'll have to step out," Paul said gruffly.  He made a motion to the door.

"Bye Mom," Brock said tauntingly, watching his mother leave the room, shaking her head in pained disbelief.

"Alright, first thing's first… you look like shit man," Levesque said laughing.  Brock glared at him, not feeling too humorous at the moment.

"No fucking kidding.  My whole head aches like you wouldn't believe.  That bastard RVD broke my damn cheekbone, my ribs are bruised and you know what sucks?  Vince says I _still _have to work Monday.  You know, I didn't see you rushing out there to help me last night," he said, almost angrily.

Paul laughed, "Yeah right, and blow my cover.  You know, there are still some people who don't we're in this together… they just think I've befriended you cause I'm an asshole.  And just so you know, I DID try to help you, but as soon as I got to guerilla position, I saw the divas with Vince and Shane.  They were watching on the big monitor… you know they'd never let me past them."  

Brock nodded, wincing in pain as he suddenly recalled his bruised ribs.  "Ow… shit.  Alright, so, what's the business?  Or was that just a ploy to get rid of my mother?" he asked.  Sitting down on the chair against the wall, Paul stretched out his legs.

"Not really business, just news.  I just thought I'd let you know that the lovebirds are off to Canada to visit Copeland's mommy.  They're skipping Smackdown and staying till Monday… they'll be back for Raw," he informed.

Brock smirked, "Oh man, what a friggen mama's boy… so, are you gonna head out there after them?" he asked.

"Nah… I got 'business' to attend to.  I obviously have to do Smackdown, and then I have some plans for the weekend," Levesque explained.  Traces of an evil smirk began to show on his face.  Brock matched Paul's grin with one of his own.

"Really?  And just what do these… plans, entail?" he asked with great interest.

"Well, I did some observing, and eavesdropping, and this is what I found out.  Jay Reso is doing appearances with Jericho all weekend," he replied proudly.  Brock raised an eyebrow.

"So?"

"_So_, if Reso's away all weekend, that means Stephie will be home all alone.  If she's home alone all weekend, then Jay…"

"Jay won't be there to stop you from doing anything," Brock finished for him.  Levesque nodded, sending him an ear-to-ear grin.  "Smart Paul… very smart.  Well, I'd say good luck, but luck's for losers." 

"Mr. Lesnar?"  A woman in a nurse's uniform called from the doorway.  "The doctor wants to take you in for a couple tests now."

Brock eyed the nurse for a couple seconds.  She was young, maybe 24-25, and she was tall… she had to be 5'9".  She was built nicely, and she had long blonde hair that was pulled back into a bun.  She was actually pretty hott.  And in that nurse's outfit, she could have easily been passed off as a porn star.  Paul saw Brock eyeing the young woman hungrily.  He looked like a lion eyeing his prey… and he was about to pounce.  

"Too easy Brock," Paul said, standing up to leave the room.  As he walked to the door, the nurse stopped him. 

"Oh wow, you're Triple H," she said, admiring him as she touched his bicep in awe.  

"Yes, I am.  Nice to meet you… Jessica," he said, noting her nametag.  He grinned, exiting the room and making his way down the corridor.

Brock smiled from his bed.  _He's right,_ he thought as the nurse switched her gaze from Paul to him.  He noticed how she was eyeing him appreciatively as he got up out of the hospital bed.  _Way too easy._

ORANGEVILLE, ONTARIO- FRIDAY 

"So, are you having fun?" Adam asked Britney as they laid in the guest bedroom he had put in his mom's new house.

Britney smiled fondly at the memory.  She'd thought it was amazingly sweet that her boyfriend bought his mother a house for Christmas.  It was something they'd always dreamed of when Adam was a kid, but being a single mother was not an easy way to live.  It had always been impossible to afford her house.  She remembered when Adam approached her with the idea.  _"Babe, I want to buy my mom a house this year.  She's done enough for me in my lifetime… I think I should give her something she'll really enjoy."_  After seeing the way both Brock and Adam treated their mothers, Britney found the saying "How they treat their mother is how they'll treat you," to be totally true. 

"Yeah, I really am.  I really like your family, Adam.  They're great people," she answered, smiling up at him.  

The past few days with the Copeland's had been great.  Compared to the McMahon clan, they were total opposites.  Adam's family was so… different from hers.  They were more civilized, more close-knit, more loving… more like a family.  They were always doing things together, even if it was little stuff, like going to the grocery store.  They weren't only family, they were friends.  They _liked _to hang out and spend time together.  The only family Britney was that close to was Stephanie and Shane, and that was only because she lived with them.

"They are good people.  I'm glad you're having a good time," he said, shifting slightly, pulling her close so he could kiss the top of her forehead. 

He kissed her forehead again as she replied, "Yeah, me too.  I really feel welcome here… I'm starting to get afraid that I'll get too comfortable around everyone… and God knows that I can't afford that."  Adam raised an eyebrow at that.  She gave a weak laugh, but somehow he didn't think she felt it was all that funny.

"W-why wouldn't you want to be comfortable around them?" he asked curiously.  

"I-I didn't really mean anything by it.  I just… I don't like getting too close to people… when you get close, you let your guard down.  I don't like to let too many people see the real me," she answered quietly, as if she was hoping he wouldn't hear her.

"Why wouldn't you want people to see the real you?  They already love you," Adam told her.

Britney shrugged, resting her head on his collarbone.  "Yeah, but they don't really _know_ me, Adam.  I mean, they don't know about my past, or all the problems I've had.  I-I mean… who wants their son or nephew to be dating a former crack addict?"

Adam winced at her statement.  The reminder of her problems and addiction stung.  He knew that it was what made her hold back, refrain from showing people the REAL Britney.  He wished none of that had ever happened… maybe then she would find it easier to open up to people about herself.

"Oh, come on babe.  You don't have to tell them *every* detail of your past.  There are things about me that my family doesn't know.  They love you, Brit, and you know why?" he encouraged her to guess.

"Because I'm your girlfriend and they have to like me," she offered weakly.

Shaking his head, Adam replied, "No.  It's _because_ they see what I see in you.  And what I see in you is a beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman, inside and out.  They fell in love with you for the same reasons myself, Chris, Jay, Mark, Shane, Amy, Kurt and everyone else did… because it's impossible NOT to fall in love with you when you first meet."  Britney sighed audibly.  As sweet as the Canadian's comments were, he was missing the point.

"But that's just it, Adam.  The reason people like me so much when they first meet me is because I give them what they want.  People don't immediately fall in love with someone whose life is fucked up like mine.  So I give them what they want to see… bubbly, fun loving, easy-going personality… everything the perfect woman should be.  It's a false personality," she explained.  Adam pushed away from her slightly, running his fingers through her soft blonde hair.

"Well, I don't think so.  Maybe you feel it's a false personality because you fell like you're hiding so much.  But regardless of what you think, I know that you are a fun loving, easy-going person… you're just a little troubled.  I also know that you can be that way without coming across as phony.  You don't have to tell them anything.  That's the beauty of meeting new people… it erases your past," he responded.

Britney smiled.  _Someone upstairs must REALLY like me, because I've done absolutely nothing to deserve a man like this.  _

"I love you, Adam," she said in response.  Ever since the night she'd first said that, it became increasingly easier to say it to him.  She supposed it was because she truly did love him.  It also felt very empowering… like she finally had control of her own emotions.  

Adam grinned, "I love you too, Brit.  And so does everyone else.  Don't ever forget that."

Britney grinned as well.  She slid in close, resting her head back against his collarbone.  As he brought his lips down to hers, they kissed sweetly.  Shortly thereafter, the two drifted off to sleep in the comfort of one another's arms.

VERY EARLY SATURDAY MORNING 

    Stephanie McMahon walked up the driveway of a large house, cursing as she tripped over a rock.  She hoped and prayed that someone would answer the door when she knocked, as it was around four in the morning.  Steph knew she should have waited till later in the day, as the people she was going to see had no idea she was even in town, but she wasn't exactly thinking straight.  After what had happened to her, she left the house and ran the entire five blocks.  That was no easy task, considering the amount of pain she was in.  She made it up the driveway, then slowed down her pace as she walked up the front steps.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she frantically pounded on the door.  The curtain in the large front window was open a crack, so the brunette peered inside.  There was a woman laying on the couch, and the dark room was being illuminated by the light of a television.  She must have fallen asleep while watching TV.  Upon seeing her, Stephanie turned and banged harder on the door, hoping to stir the woman out of her sleep.  Sure enough, a few moments later, she heard the locks undoing and the doorknob turning.  As the door was pulled open, the tired looking woman gasped.

"Stephanie?  What are you… oh God, honey, what happened?"  As the screen door was unlocked, Stephanie entered the house, grabbing the woman by the arm.

"Oh, Ms. Copeland, I… I need to see Britney.  I-I'm sorry it's so late, but… it… it's an emergency," she choked out.  Judy Copeland led the crying woman to the living room, sitting her down on the couch.  

"It's okay sweetie, don't worry about it.  I'll go up and get her," she said soothingly.

She turned and disappeared up the steps, leaving Stephanie sobbing quietly on the couch.  As she winced uncomfortably, she thought of what had happened earlier.  She swore she would never let something like this happen to her, that she was too strong for it, but it did.  It did and she couldn't do a damn thing to change it.

"Steph?"  A masculine voice called from up the steps, causing her to jump.  She looked up to see Adam slowly coming towards her.  He was wearing only boxers, and his hair was slightly messy from being asleep.

"A-Adam?  Where's Britney?" she asked, sniffling.  Stopping in front of her, Adam eyed the pretty brunette, who had lowered her head when he'd approached.  Taking the band from his wrist he pulled his hair back and then kneeled down in front of her.

"She's coming, honey.  What… Steph, what's wrong?  Why are you crying?" he asked.  _More like, why are you crying in my mom's living room at four in the morning._  He shifted and sat down next to her on the couch, gently placing his hand on her shoulder.  He winced as she yanked almost violently away.  

"Don't… touch me," she said, shifting away from him.  

Adam watched her move, noting how she winced, seemingly in pain.  _What the hell is going on?_  The Canadian also noticed that she was shaking, and he didn't know what to do.  He wanted to comfort her, but she'd made it pretty clear that she didn't want him making any contact with her.  He rubbed his eyes tiredly… this couldn't be good.  All of a sudden, he got a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.  He looked up and saw his girlfriend at the bottom of the stairs, clad in the shorts and tank top pajama set she had worn to bed, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy ponytail.  He sent her a helpless look, shrugging at her as she made her way towards them, yawning about halfway across the room.  In an attempt to calm Stephanie down, Adam spoke again.

"Look Steph… Britney's here now," he said, going to touch her arm again, but pulling back once he remembered her reaction to him touching her a few moments ago.  She looked up to see her cousin, who was motioning for Adam to get up.  As Adam stood and Britney took his place, Stephanie collapsed right into Britney's arms.  As Britney hugged the brunette tightly, she tried to figure out what was going on.  

"Steph… Steph, what is it?  Come on honey, tell me what happened," she asked, running her hands up and down her back soothingly. 

Stephanie sobbed loudly against her, trying her best to speak, "I… I… oh God Brit!  I'm… I… I'm just so scared!"

She broke off, her words turning into sobs again.  Adam couldn't stand to watch, so he placed his hand on her knee, unable to resist the urge to do so.  He couldn't just sit there and watch one of his very good friends cry her eyes out and not do something.  Feeling her stiffen at his touch, Britney reached out and smacked Adam's hand.  As she sent him a chastising look, he backed away.  She pointed to the kitchen, signaling for him to go away.  Adam sighed, but turned to leave.  As her boyfriend was exiting the room, the blonde woman questioned her cousin again.  

"What do you mean?  What happened?  What are you scared of?" she asked, searching for an explanation.  Stephanie shook her head, burying her face into Britney's chest.  Snapping her fingers to get Adam's attention, she mouthed to him, "Get her a drink or something."  Nodding, the tall man disappeared into the kitchen.

She tried to question Stephanie once more, "Come on Steph, talk to me.  What the hell happened?"

"I… I was… oh God.  I swore I wouldn't let it happen Brit, but it did.  I…" she stopped.  

Britney was about to coerce her some more, but she saw Adam heading their way with a glass of water in his hand.  She took the glass from him and offered it to Stephanie with her right hand, once again shooing him away with her left.  As Stephanie thirstily gulped down the cool water, Britney reached out and put her hand on the back of Steph's neck, softly playing with her hair.  The back of her neck underneath her hair was soaked, and Britney assumed it was sweat.  When she pulled her hand away to wipe it off, she gasped as she discovered that this was not the case.  Adam froze at his girlfriend's horrified words.

"Oh my God… Steph… you're bleeding."  Turning around sharply, Adam marched right back to the women, not caring if he startled anyone or not.  

 "Who did this to you?" he demanded, seething.  

Stephanie sniffed again and quietly whispered, "P-Paul."  Britney's eyes widened slightly and Adam felt his blood increasingly coming to a boil.  She looked up at the two, a single tear sliding down her cheek as she painfully said the words.  

"He… he raped me."

**Hey everyone… thanks for all the reviews I've been getting so far.. especially from the people who review every chapter… that means a hell of a lot to me.  It'd be nice if some other people would come out and review too (not a hint or anything... lol).  But anyway, what did you think??  Let me know, and I'll put the next part up within the next couple of days!!!  33**


	35. Part 34

WARNING: Okay, there's rape in this chapter.  If you don't wanna read it, then don't read it.  It shouldn't be a problem for anyone, cause I wouldn't write anything I couldn't handle reading… I just had to put it in just in case.

PART 34

"Oh my God… Steph, are you okay?" Britney asked frantically, feeling the tears fill her eyes.  Wiping her eyes, Stephanie shook her head.

"I… I don't know.  Physically, I-I think so, but…"

"Well when did this happen?  How did you get all the way to Canada?" she asked.  Britney supposed if it had happened tonight Stephanie could have hopped a redeye to Toronto, but still, it would take awhile.  Even though the flight to Toronto from Connecticut wasn't that long, she might have had to wait for a flight and then once she got to the city, she'd still have to find a way to Orangeville.  

"It was t-tonight.  I was already in Canada… I was already in Orangeville.  Jay… he gave me the keys to parents' house cause they were away for the weekend or something.  He… he said it would be nice for me… to have the weekend to myself.  I… I guess he was wrong," she explained.  Adam and Britney exchanged glances, and they both sighed.  Adam opened his mouth to speak, but Britney put a finger to his lips.  He took it as a signal to let her do the talking.

"So… what happened?" she asked.  She frowned when Stephanie sent her a lost, helpless look.  "Come on Steph, talk to me.  I know it's hard, trust me, I do… but I always went to you, didn't I?  You know you can tell Adam and me anything… so just tell us what happened."  Sighing as she took a deep breath, the brunette recounted her tale.

JAY'S PARENTS' HOUSE 

_Stephanie laid down in the bed at the house Jay grew up in.  After a nice long bubble bath, the Billion Dollar Princess was very relaxed and comfortable.  _Jay was right… coming here WAS a good idea.  I don't think I've ever felt quite so relaxed in the longest time._  Suddenly, she heard a noise, like something being shattered or smashed.  She jumped, startled at the loud noise.  _

_"It's probably some kid throwing a bottle or something," she told herself.  _

_When she heard the backdoor of the house opening, she panicked.  _Holy shit… someone's in here!  _Stephanie's mind raced for a minute, but then she tried to calm herself down.  _It's probably just Jay… maybe his appearances were cancelled.  Yeah, that's it… he forgot his key, so he smashed the window.  _The brunette knew her explanation was illogical… if Jay really was coming to the house, he would have knocked or at least called to say he was on his way.  Still, she kept telling herself that in order to stay calm.  _It's just Jay, it's just Jay… or maybe it's no one.  Maybe I'm hallucinating or something.

_Very cautiously, she rose from the bed, going out into the hallway.  She went into the room Jay shared with his brother Josh as a kid, knowing that his parents had kept it the same for sentimental reasons.  She found a baseball bat under one of the beds and grabbed it.  Gripping it protectively in front of her, Stephanie slowly crept down the stairs.  When she reached the foot of the steps she paused, listening closely for any signs of movement.  The house was dead silent… the only thing she could hear was the sound of her own breathing.  _Maybe this whole thing was in my head._  She crept out a little further, looking down the other flight of steps at the backdoor.  There was no broken glass or anything near it.  She waited a few moments, still not feeling totally safe.  After awhile, she gave up, turning around and climbing back up the stairs._

_She laid back in the bed, trying to fall asleep.  She knew it would be awhile before she would ever get to sleep, so she decided to go downstairs and fix a midnight snack.  Sighing, she stood and headed towards the kitchen, grabbing the baseball bat on her way out of the bedroom… just in case.  After rummaging through the kitchen for a few minutes, Stephanie just grabbed a bag of Doritos.  She normally tried to stay away from that stuff, but she was distraught, so she figured what the hell.  She headed back up the steps and into the bedroom.  After she laid back down, she turned to the nightstand next to the bed to find the remote so she could flip on the TV.  Just as she was about to press the power button, a voice caused her to freeze._

_"Hey Steph." _

_Stephanie lost her breath at the sound of the raspy voice… someone was sitting next to her in the bed!  "W-who's there?" she asked, though by the sound of the voice she was almost positive she knew who it was.  If she wasn't shaking so damn much she would have made a run for it.  And damn it, she had left the baseball bat in the kitchen!  Suddenly, the light switched on and Stephanie gasped._

_"Don't look so shocked to see me honey," Paul Levesque said, sitting on the edge of the bed. _

_"P-Paul… how the hell did you get here?" she asked.  Paul smiled as he detected the quiver of fear in her voice._

_"Come on baby, you know me.  I have ways of getting whatever I want," he said, grinning evilly.  The cocky, arrogant smirk that was ever-present on his face didn't cease to exist now._

_"Well w-what… what do you want?" Stephanie asked fearfully.  She prayed that he didn't want to physically harm her, or worse… that he was concealing a weapon of some sort.  He was the kind of guy who would do that._

_Laughing, Paul answered, "I think you know what I want."  Then, he forcefully pressed his lips against hers.  She tried to scream, but he silenced her by forcing his tongue into her mouth as he pushed her onto her back.  Straddling her, he grabbed her hands and held them in place above her head.  As soon as he broke the kiss for air, Stephanie screamed._

_"Get off of me!  You bastard, get the hell off me!" she screeched.  Knowing that she couldn't use her hands, she brought her right leg up, kneeing Paul as hard as she could.  He groaned and let go of her hands.  Stephanie took the opportunity to scream again, hoping to garner some of the neighbors' attention.  The second Levesque made the mistake of moving off of her, the brunette was up and off, desperately trying to escape.  Once he realized what was going on, Paul recovered quickly and was off after her._

_Within seconds, he was behind her in the hallway.  Because she was moving so quickly and frantically, she tripped and the top of the stairs, sliding down all the way to the bottom.  She tried to get up right away but she couldn't, as her tailbone was already beginning to ache.  Stephanie yelped as Paul grabbed her head, yanking her up by the hair.  Once she was on her feet, he glared down at her, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up._

_Let's try that again," he said almost angrily, before lowing his head to kiss her again._

_She didn't give him as much room this time, balling her hand into a fist and connecting it to his jaw.  The blow actually had enough force to cause him to stagger backwards momentarily.  Stephanie knew she should be running… she was in the living room, and the front door was only about fifteen feet away… but she just stood there, completely frozen in fear.  She knew that hitting Paul was probably the worst thing in the world she could have done, but she reacted on instinct.  Paul made a noise that could only be described as a roar and charged back at her, grabbing the young woman by the throat._

_"You want to play rough?  Fine… I like it better like that anyway," he growled._

_He let go of her head, shoving her across the room.  She tripped and fell, whacking her head on the coffee table in the center of the room. Stephanie let out a cry of pain, as she was almost positive the back of her head was busted open.  _Please, God, let this be over soon.  _As soon as she felt a large hand wrap around her hair again, she knew it was far from over.  Paul lifted her up off the floor and carelessly tossed her on the couch, smirking as she saw the small spot of blood on the table.  Coming over to the couch, he straddled her again, this time pulling up the nightgown she was wearing._

_"Paul, no… please," Stephanie pleaded as he began tearing at both of their garments.  "Paul… Paul, no!  Stop it… NO, stop it!"  _

_She cried out loudly as he pried her legs apart and thrust violently into her.  "Ow… ow, oh God Paul, PLEASE.  You're hurting me!"_

_"Oh, shut up and take it you little bitch!" he grunted._

_Tears, which had surprisingly remained absent as of yet, were streaming down Stephanie's cheeks now.  After awhile, her cries died down to dull whines and she gave up fighting.  She closed her eyes and let him have his way with her, silently praying for it to be over.  When he was finished, he nonchalantly zipped up his pants, patted her on the cheek and headed to the door, as if he'd done nothing wrong.  Turning back once he reached the door, Paul regarded Stephanie._

"Thanks kid.  It was a lot of fun, though I'm sure the *pleasure* was all mine… we'll have to do it again sometime."  He laughed evilly, opening the front door and walking out of the house, leaving behind a trembling and violated brunette.

THE NEXT DAY 

Adam pulled the key out of the ignition of his mom's car and headed up the driveway.  Earlier in the morning, he'd explained to his mother what happened and advised her to make herself scarce during the day, as Stephanie was staying there and she was already skittish around him.  Judy had had a friend pick her up and take her out for the day so Britney, Adam, and especially Stephanie could try and get some sleep.  Adam lay awake for about a half hour before he decided that there was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep.  

Noting that his mother had left her car keys, he headed to the gym in hopes to blow off some steam.  While he was there, he just couldn't shake the thought that had been plaguing him all day.  Paul Levesque _raped_ Stephanie.  Adam had never been able to comprehend what could possess a man to force himself on a woman… it just wasn't right.  What was worse, Adam knew that Jay had no clue that this occurred.  If he had, he would have been there by now, or at least called a thousand times to see if she was okay.  Adam wanted so badly to tell Jay what had happened… as Stephanie's boyfriend of well over a year, he deserved to know.  Still, it wasn't his place to tell… if anyone was going to tell Jay, it would have to be Stephanie herself.  Adam sighed loudly… well, yet another perfect weekend ruined by Brock and Paul.  It made him wonder what Paul Heyman had been up to as of late.  The slime hadn't managed to get himself into any trouble as of recently.

The Canadian shook his head, trying to separate the thoughts that were cluttering his mind.  As he opened the front door, he was surprised to see Britney awake, sitting on the couch reading a People Magazine.  She put her finger to her lips, shushing him as she pointed down.  Adam looked over to see Stephanie asleep, curled up into a ball next to Britney.

"What are you guys doing down here?" he asked curiously.  When he'd left that morning, both girls were sound asleep in the guest bed. 

"I came down earlier… I… I couldn't sleep.  A little while later, she woke up and came down too.  We talked for a little while, and then she fell asleep again," Britney whispered, explaining the situation.  Adam nodded, studying his girlfriend intently.  It was obvious to him that she had been crying.  Cocking his head to the side, he made a motion for her to join him in the kitchen so they could talk.  After following him into the other room, she took a seat next to him at the kitchen table.  

"I still think we should take her to the hospital," Adam said, taking the opportunity to speak first.  

Britney sighed, "Adam, for the last time, her head is fine!  She doesn't need stitches, and… 

"I'm not talking about the stitches Brit!  She was raped, honey.  They have to check her out and make sure she's okay… and they have to get samples of the fluids so they prove it was Paul," he explained.  If anything good came out of this, it would be the chance to throw Paul Levesque in jail.  

"I know that Adam, I'm not stupid.  But it's not that simple," Britney said plainly.  Adam sighed, slapping his hand against his forehead.

"Brit, she HAS to get checked out.  Not only will she be running a health risk, but she won't be reporting her own rape.  You don't want her to become a victim of unreported rape… nothing will come out of it, except her being turned into a statistic," he explained as best as he could.  He wanted her to see his point, but after being with Brock and having that happen to her probably on numerous occasions, he could understand why she wouldn't WANT to see it.  He expected her to be upset, but he wasn't really expecting her reaction.  She kind of flipped on him.

"Don't you get it?  She's *already* been made a statistic, Adam!  Whether it's reported or not, rape is rape!  It happened, and you can't change it, and trust me, NOTHING you do will make it go away.  Putting Paul in jail would help, but it doesn't just make it all go away!  You NEVER forget something like this.  If Stephanie thought something was seriously wrong, she would have went to a hospital already!  She… she said it didn't hurt as bad as she thought it would.  And anyway, all those damn doctors do is make you sit, alone, with cops for about two hours, and all they do is nag you to tell them what happened.  You have *no* idea how painful it is to tell that story once, let alone once to doctors, once to police, once to police, AND once to a jury on testimony!" she cried, trying to keep her voice down.

Adam saw the emotion in her eyes, the sheer sadness, hopelessness, and understanding of her cousin's situation.  His heart sunk as he watched two tears slide down her cheeks.  He knew she was overwhelmed and extremely upset by what happened to Stephanie.  She more than anyone could understand what it felt like to be taken advantage of like that… and it certainly wasn't fun.  Adam also sensed that she was scared of falling to a similar fate.  Sliding off of his chair, the tall man kneeled in front of her.  Placing his hands on her knees, he questioned her.

"Britney?  Are… are you scared?"  When she sent him a confused look, Adam thought he might have to elaborate a little on what she was or wasn't afraid of.  He didn't have to explain, however, as she spoke before he could.

"Yes… shitless.  I'm scared shitless.  I-I keep trying to be there for her and I keep telling myself to be strong because she needs me to be, but it's hard to that when you're just as afraid," she said, looking up at him as he wiped the tears off her cheeks.  He smiled warmly at her, which confused her a little bit.

"I know you're scared… I don't blame you.  To be totally honest, I'm a little scared, too.  But I want you to know that I'm so proud of you.  You're there for Stephanie at the time she needs you most, even though what happened scares you on a personal level.  I know how much it hurts you to listen to her and not think about anything that happened to you.  I'm really proud of you, and I'm proud to be able to call you my girlfriend," Adam said comfortingly. 

She gave him a weak, half smile back, "Thanks… I just wish I wasn't so damn scared."

"Then don't be.  Baby, you have nothing to be scared of.  I won't let anyone hurt you, you know that," he promised, even though he wasn't so sure he could keep it.  He had many so many promises that he sincerely planned on keeping that were in some way broken at the hands of Brock Lesnar, Paul Levesque, or Paul Heyman.  Britney glanced at him for a beat, trying to think of what to say.

"I-I… I don't know Adam.  I don't think even you could prevent it.  It… it's kind of inevitable," she said sadly.

"What's inevitable," he asked, unsure of where she was going.

"What happened to Stephanie… I'm next."

**Alright guys, there's the next chapter.  This is where all the action of story begins, LOL.  Just a little head's up (w/out giving too much info), Paul Heyman will be back in the next part.  LOL, a lot of people were asking me about what happened to him.  Don't worry, his slimy ways will reappear soon enough!  As for this part,  let me know what you thought!  I handled that whole 'scene' okay, didn't I?? Well, as soon as I know what you all think I'll put up the next part!**


	36. Part 35

PART 35

MONDAY-RAW

"Thanks for coming with me Adam," Stephanie said gratefully.  After arriving at the arena, Stephanie decided there was no way she could handle seeing Paul.  Since she didn't really need to be at Raw, she was going to leave… she just had to tell Jay, who hadn't seen her since Thursday night.  Adam nodded, loosely and gently wrapping his arm around her.  He was happy that she didn't wince or flinch… after being with Britney for so long, he had become very good at controlling his movements.

"No problem Steph.  I… are you sure you don't want to stay for a little while and tell Jay what happened?" he asked.  They had established that Stephanie was going to feign illness and that Adam was going to drive her back to the hotel.  Stopping in front of the door where Jay was, Stephanie turned to Adam and shook her head.

"I… I can't do it.  Not right now, Adam.  I'll… I'll do it eventually, I promise.  You have to understand… it's… it's really hard," she said.

"It's okay, I understand… well, let's go," replied, pushing the door open.  When they were inside, they noted that Jay was the only one in the room.  Looking up, he smiled at them, standing and approaching them.

"Hey guys," he greeted.  "How are you two doing?"

"Fine," they both answered quickly.  
  


"How was your weekend?" Jay asked, kissing Stephanie on the cheek.  Adam noticed the brunette wince and for her sake, he was glad that his best friend hadn't seemed to notice.  Her eyes widened slightly and she began shifting uncomfortably on her feet.  Adam didn't want Jay to notice, so he gently placed his hand at the small of her back, encouraging her to answer.

"It… it was nice," she lied, though she knew the weekend was far from nice.  It was absolute hell.  Jay frowned as he eyed his girlfriend.  Though he had no clue as to what had happened to Steph Friday night, he could tell something was up.

"Steph?  You okay?" he asked, grabbing her hand in his.

"Uh, actually Jay, I'm not feeling to good.  I… I think I'm gonna head back to the hotel," she told him, silently praying that he would buy her excuse for leaving.  Feeling her forehead, Jay brushed a few strands of hair off her face.

"You do feel a little warm.  Do you want me to take you back to the hotel?" he asked, eyeing her with concern.

Stephanie shook her head, "No, that's okay.  Adam's going to take me… he's not busy."  When Jay shifted his glance to Adam, the taller man took out his car keys and flashed them at him.

"No, I'll go.  I haven't seen you in three days, and I want to see you.  Just let me…"

"Really Jay, it's no problem.  Your match is up early in the show, and it's almost eight now. Besides… I… wanted to grab some dinner anyway," Adam interrupted.  He knew Stephanie didn't want to be alone with Jay just yet.  And, knowing Jay as long as he had, he knew his friend would be expecting some after not seeing his girlfriend all weekend.  Stephanie just wouldn't be able to handle that, not three days after being raped.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, the shorter man gave in.  "Oh… okay.  I hope you feel better hun," he said, kissing Stephanie on the forehead.

"T-thanks… bye Jay," she said in reply, allowing Adam to lead her out the door.

They briskly made their way down the hall towards the exit.  Adam actually had to speed walk to keep up with her, she was going that fast.  The Canadian felt horrible for her… it wasn't fair that she had to be afraid to show up for work.  That damn Paul Levesque.  Adam hoped Stephanie would come to her senses and tell the police soon, not just for her sake, but for the fact that if he did it once he'd probably have no trouble doing it again.  The two made it all the way to the door without being stopped or noticed by anyone.  Just as Stephanie began to push the back door open, Adam heard a voice call after him.

"Adam!  Where you going?  It's almost seven!"  He turned to see Matt and Shane Helms, standing at the far end of the hallway.

"I'll talk to you when I get back… I shouldn't be long!" he called back waving.  When he turned back to the door, he gasped.  Stephanie was staring in horror… he looked past her to see Paul Levesque standing in front of her, grinning.

"Get the hell away from her," Adam said, putting his hand on Stephanie's shoulder.

"Defensive, are we?  Cool it Copeland, I was just saying hi… wasn't I Princess?" Paul shot back.  Stephanie could feel the hot tears welling up in her eyes.  The reason she was moving so quickly was because she wanted to get out of the arena before she had to face Paul… now she had practically collided with him.  

"Steph, go get in the car," Adam said, handing her the keys.  She didn't protest, grabbing them and running towards Adam's rental car.  Adam turned back to Levesque, "You are one lucky bastard.  Be thankful I'm abiding by her wishes and not going to the police… _I_ would have no trouble throwing your ass in jail, you stupid son of a bitch."

"Hey, here's an idea… stay out of my business.  I'm the Game… I'll fuck whoever I wasn't to fuck… and if you don't like it, you can just kiss my ass," Paul retorted. 

Adam shook his head, clenching his fists and teeth angrily.  _"I'm the Game."  Boy, somebody's a little egotistical._  Doing as best as he could to remain calm, the Canadian bit his lip and began to walk away.  Sending him a satisfied smirk, Paul called after him. 

"Watch out for that one man… I'm telling you, she's a fighter!" 

_Okay, there goes my composure._  Adam turned and marched back, pressing the Heavyweight Champion up against the wall.  

"Listen you pathetic piece of rat shit, I'm pretty much at my limit here with all the bullshit I can take.  If you don't mind, I'd really appreciate it if you'd knock it the fuck off.  Now, as far as what you did to Stephanie goes, you disgust me.  You are one of the most pathetic excuses for a human being that I think I have ever met.  If you, or any of your friends for that matter, so much as TRIED to pull something like that on Britney, they'd have to throw ME in jail, because I would have to murder your ass," he said through gritted teeth.  With that, he turned and stomped away, heading to his car and to Stephanie. 

Paul laughed after him, "Yet you *still* left her alone in an arena where _I_ will be ALL night."

IN THE ARENA CATERING ROOM 

Britney was sitting in the back corner of the room with Chris and Jay.  Though she was acting normal, she couldn't help but feel awkward being around Jay.  She felt as though she was hiding something from him, even thought it was Stephanie's job to tell him what happened, not hers.  Still, she couldn't shake the feeling… she knew something very important about her that Jay deserved and needed to know.  _Maybe I should just tell him.  What harm would it really do?  I mean, she's going to have to tell him eventually or their whole relationship will be screwed, and God knows how long it'll take her to do it.  If I…_  

"Hello?  Earth to McMahon?"  Jay's voice cut into her thoughts as he waved a hand in front of her face.  "I thought we might have lost you there."

"Sorry Jay… I was just thinking about something.  What were you saying?"  

Jay raised an eyebrow curiously, but answered her question.  "I was just telling Chris that Steph was acting a little weird today when I saw her… do you have any idea what's up with her?" he asked, hoping that maybe she had that answer.  Chris eyed her wonderingly as well.  Come to think of it, Britney was actually acting a little odd herself… he just hoped everything was okay.

"She's uh… she just wasn't feeling well.  She… hasn't really been herself all weekend.  Maybe she has a 72 hour bug or something," Britney said in a tone that Chris could only perceive as being nervous.

"Oh… are you sure nothing else is wrong?" Jay asked.  If anyone besides him in the world knew what was going on with Stephanie, it would be Britney.  He couldn't shake the feeling that the blonde woman wasn't telling him the whole truth.  Maybe Stephanie really wasn't feeling well… but there had to be something more.

Plastering a smile on her face as naturally as she could, Britney answered, "I'm sure Jay.  She's just… sick, that's all.  I'm sure she'll be fine in a few…"

"JAY!  Come here man!"  

The three blondes looked up to see Sean Morley calling from across the room.  Britney wasn't a huge fan of Sean, since he and Adam hadn't exactly been friends since he broke off his engagement to his sister, but she breathed a sigh of relief.  _Saved by the Morley._  

Jay sighed as well, "Guess I better see what this dorkchop wants… hold up Chief, I'm coming!"  After Jay disappeared with Morley, Chris turned to Britney.

"Alright, spill it," he instructed, and Britney sent him a confused look.

"Spill what?" she asked innocently.  Chris snorted at her.

"You're already cute… you don't have to act that way around me," he said.  "Something's up… and I want to know what it is and who I have to beat up."

"Chris, really, I… okay, I guess there's no use arguing with you," she replied in a defeated tone.  She guessed she was going to have to make up some problem satisfy him enough to get off her back about what was REALLY wrong.

"Damn right," he said, nodding in agreement, and then waiting for her to continue.

"Well, I… it's not really me.  I just… I…"

"You know what's wrong with Steph, don't you?" Chris interrupted.  _Damn him… he's too good.  _He knew Britney so well, he could figure out what he was thinking just by reading her expressions.  _Christ, I've got another Shane._  Sighing loudly, she nodded in response.

"Well?" Jericho asked expectantly.

Shaking her head, Britney answered, "No.  Chris, I can't tell you.  If I could, you know I would do it, but I just… I really shouldn't talk about it."  _Come on Chris, just back off it._

Chris raised an eyebrow, "Why the hell not?"  

"Cause it's none of your business," she shot back.  Chris frowned.  _She tells me everything… why should now be any different?_  He decided to take a lighter approach to the subject.

"Come on Brit, I'm the Ayatollah!  I must know all," he said humorously, cracking a smile.  His grin faded when she sent him an icy glare.

"I'm glad you're so happy and smiley about all this, but I don't seem to find any of this funny.  I'm sorry that I can't grant the almighty Ayatollah with his command, but I've had a long ass weekend," she said coldly.  Chris frowned, slightly hurt at the way she was so snappy with him.

"I… I'm sorry kid.  I didn't know it was something serious," he said.  As he looked at her, his heart broke.  She looked as though she was about seconds away from succumbing to tears.  "Hey, are you alright?  What's going on?" he asked softly.  Britney rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Chris, I'm only telling you this because I trust that you won't tell ANYONE.  When you hear all this, you're going to want to tell, but Chris, you can't.  You can't tell a soul, especially not Jay.  I'll tell you what happened, but you have to SWEAR that you won't say anything to anyway.  This all stays between you and me," she said.

He nodded seriously, so Britney took a deep breath and began to tell Chris what had happened.

MEANWHILE- AT THE HOTEL 

"So you're sure you don't need anything?" Adam asked Stephanie.

"Yeah, I'm sure.  You've done way more than enough Adam… thanks again for everything," she answered, smiling gratefully at him.  

"Alright, but if you change your mind, just call me or Brit, okay?" he said, leaning down toward the couch she was laying on to kiss her on the cheek. 

The brunette nodded and smiled warmly as Adam winked at her before exiting the room.  That man was so sweet.  Not only did he drive her back to the hotel, he sat with her for nearly 45 minutes, just talking with her about stupid stuff.  He practically made her forget about the entire weekend, he was that good at comforting her.  He was so patient and understanding, and he actually _listened_ to her when she began to talk more and more openly about the incident.  Stephanie figured it was probably because he was with Britney… with all that she'd been through, he'd have to have the patience and understanding of a saint.  Britney was so lucky to have him… not that Stephanie didn't feel lucky to have Jay.  He was like a Godsend… but he just wasn't as strong as Adam.  He couldn't handle things the way Adam could, and stay calm when he got really upset and angry.  She still needed to find a way to tell him.  She knew that even though she had come back to the hotel to try and relax, she would spend the hours till Jay came back thinking of him, and thinking of how she was going to break the news.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Meanwhile, Adam was making his way back to his car.  Stepping out of the elevator, he greeted some fans that walked by.  They had asked him why he wasn't at Raw where he should be, and he laughed, answering them by repeating their question.  As he headed out into the lobby, he thought of the brunette upstairs in her hotel room.  Earlier, when he had taken her up to her and Jay's room, the two of them talked.  At first it was just small stuff like music and sports, as Adam told Stephanie that there was no need to talk about Paul or the past Friday night or anything like that.  Eventually though, she opened up to him, retelling the story… only this time, she explained what was going through her head.  As she explained the emotions she felt ---dirty, used, violated, and terrorized to name a few--- Adam really began to grasp how scary the whole ordeal must have been, for her or any woman who had gone through it.  _The poor kid.  She doesn't deserve this… no one does.  _As he headed out into the parking lot, the Canadian shook his head.  He only hoped she would conjure up the nerve to tell Jay soon.  As he looked out into the lot, he squinted as he spotted his car.  Someone was standing next to it looking down, seemingly at the tires.  As Adam got closer, he was able to make out who the person was… Paul Heyman.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, approaching the man suspiciously.  Paul looked up, startled at first, but then calming down considerably.  He knew that he had already done his job, just as Paul Levesque had instructed.  After Paul was caught by Chris Irvine spying on Adam and Britney, Brock said things would be better if he kept all his work behind the scenes.  Today, however, was different… Levesque had given Paul specific directions to ensure that Adam didn't make it back to the arena.

"Hello Adam.  Just fixing up your car… there was some tire and window trouble," he said, smirking cockily.  Adam looked at the car for the first time, and he gasped.  The driver seat window was completely shattered and all four tires were slashed, the air draining out of them.

"Oh man… what the fuck?" he groaned, leaning down to inspect the deflated tires.  

Paul grinned widely, "Looks like you'll be having a little trouble getting back to the arena."  Shit, Adam hadn't even thought of that.

"Shit, I'm going to miss the show!" he thought out loud.  He checked his watch.  It was already 9:05… he spot was scheduled for 9:30.  There was no way he'd make it in time.

Heyman laughed and responded, "Yes, you will miss the show.  But I wasn't really referring to _what _you're going to be missing… rather, _who_ it is you're missing."  

Adam narrowed his eyes, "What are you getting at?"

"Really Adam, I'm surprised you haven't realized it yet.  Brock may not be at the show tonight, but Paul Levesque is.  You left your precious, sweet, fragile little girlfriend alone in a building with a rapist," he replied manipulatively.  

Adam's stomach dropped… for once, the bastard was right.  Britney was at the arena with Levesque lurking around in the shadows.  Suddenly, he started fumbling around in his pockets, looking for his cell phone.  If he could get a hold of Chris, or even Jay, he could make sure one of them was with her until he found a way to the arena.  He kept checking, but he couldn't find his phone anywhere.

"Looking for this?" Heyman taunted, holding up a phone and waving it in Adam's face.  Adam suddenly recalled leaving the phone in the car… the fat ass must have taken it when he smashed the window!

"Give me my phone back," he growled, sending Paul a cold glare.  

Shaking his head, Paul replied, "I don't think so."  When he saw Adam place his hand out, he dropped the phone on the ground, quickly stomping it to pieces.  

"That was my cell phone you idiot!  Oh man, this is gonna cost so much money!" Adam cried, cursing himself for even thinking of money at this time.  He looked up at Heyman, decided how he was going to make him pay for this.  When Adam made a move towards him, Paul wielded a thick knife, flashing it in the tall man's eyes.

"I already slashed your tires… don't make me slash your face, too," he warned.  

Giving up, Adam plopped down on the hood of the car in a huff.  He would have to go back up to Stephanie's room and try and call from there.  That task was going to be pretty difficult, as he didn't have any of their numbers memorized… they were all programmed in his cell phone.  Adam shifted his glance from the smashed phone to Heyman, watching in disgust as he got in his car and pulled away.  As he drove by, Heyman called back to Adam, causing his eyes to widen.

"Don't worry about getting back to the arena, Adam… I'm sure Paul will take _wonderful_ care of her!"

Well, there it is… the next chapter.  LOL, so what did you think?  I told you Heyman would be back… I didn't know what to do with him until now, but I have big plans for him. LOL, *evil grin*.  Anyway, let me know what you think!!! 33


	37. Part 36

PART 36

****

RAW

Amy, Britney, Lisa Marie, and Charlene walked backstage through the curtain.  Lita and Victoria had just had a match, while Britney and Jazz were in their respective corners.  The match was good, but last minute it had to made a little longer than it was originally expected to be.  Vince was very upset at the way Raw was going that night.  First, Brock's doctor called at 7:30 to tell him that Brock was not cleared to wrestle, and now Adam _still_ wasn't back from taking Stephanie back to the hotel.  While Vince knew he was taker her to the hotel, he didn't know what happened over the weekend, and he certainly didn't know why Adam wasn't back yet.  Though his appearance was small, it was still about 4 minutes long, and Brock was going to wrestle a match… they had to rewrite nearly fifteen minutes of TV.  While that may not seem to be a long time to viewers, it was a lot of time they needed to fill.  Knowing that Adam had returned yet was causing Britney to worry.

"What's the matter?" Charlene asked her obviously troubled friend.  Britney smiled softly at the woman's concern.  As their feud progressed, the two women had grown closer and closer, and Charlene saw her as many of the guys did… a little sister.

"Nothing Carly, I just… Adam's still not back yet," she replied.  The woman nodded, understanding her concern.  Adam had left for the hotel around quarter to eight, according to Britney.  He should have been back by now… she just hoped everything was okay.  The four women headed towards the women's locker room.  When they reached the room, Amy reached out to grab the door handle, jumping as it turned and opened.  The divas looked up to see Stacy Keibler.

"Oh, Britney… I was just about to go and look for you," she said.  Waving to the other three women, Charlene and Lisa Marie walked past them, heading in for the showers.  

"What's up Stace?" Britney asked curiously, leaning up against the wall.

"Adam called me.  He said he lost his cell phone and Stephanie left hers at Jay's mom's house.  I got my new cell yesterday so he still had the number in his pocket and he called from Stephanie's hotel room.  He says he's not going to be able to make it back to the arena," she said.  Britney suddenly got scared… what if something was wrong with Stephanie?

"Um, Stace?  Did he say why?  Or… did he say anything about Stephanie?" she asked curiously.  Amy raised an eyebrow.  _Stephanie?_  

Stacy hesitated, then answered, "Uh, actually, he said he…"

"Britney!  Mr. Bischoff wants you!"  

The girls looked up to see Stevie Richards calling from down the hall.  Britney groaned loudly… Bischoff always managed to interrupt at important times.  She debated ignoring Steven and continuing her conversation with Stacy, but she checked just in case.

"Well, did he say what for?" she called back as Richards walked towards them.  As he walked by the women, he shook his head.

"Nope… just that he wanted you in his office now."

Heaving an annoyed sigh, Britney gave in, "Fine… I'll be back in a couple minutes guys."  As the blonde woman walked away, Amy couldn't help but be suspicious… especially after the funny look Steven Richards had given them.

"I thought Bischoff was headed out to the ring, that he was up after our spot," she said to Stacy.

The leggy blonde shrugged, "I thought so too.  Maybe they changed the script again… with the way tonight's show has been going, it wouldn't surprise me at all.  It's been scrapped and re-written almost three times already."  

Suddenly, Stacy got a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, recalling the conversation she'd had with Adam on her phone.  He had seemed so jumpy, so anxious… something was up.  She recalled what he'd said to her.  _"This is really important, Stacy.  Get her to Chris and tell him to get her the hell out of there.  Just tell him to bring her to me at the hotel, and that I said it was really important.  And Stace… don't let her out of your site until she's with Chris."_

"Amy?  I don't think Britney should be going in there," she said shakily, eyeing the redhead.

"Why not?" Amy asked, getting that same funny feeling in her stomach.  "Stacy… what did Adam say to you when you talked to him?"

"He said to get her to Chris and tell him to get her the hell out of the arena.  He said something about not letting her out of my sight until she was with Chris and they were on their way to the hotel," she replied.

Amy nodded, "Did he say anything else?  Like, did he mention any names besides Britney, Chris, and Stephanie?"  Stacy squinted for a minute, thinking back to her conversation.  She thought for a moment, and then suddenly… the light bulb clicked on.

"Now that you mention it, yeah… he told me to make sure she was nowhere near Paul Levesque.  I remember now cause I thought that was weird, since I knew her and Paul aren't friends at all.  I mean, especially after… Amy, what… what's going on?" she asked, watching with concern as a mask of worry transformed the redhead's face.  

Grabbing the woman's tiny arm, Amy pulled her down the hall and replied, "Come on… we have to go find Chris."

ERIC BISCHOFF'S OFFICE 

Britney pushed the door open, straightening out her skirt as she did so.  Walking into the room, she spoke.

"Hey Eric, can we make this quick?  I want to… you're not Eric."

The young McMahon froze in her tracks, eyes widening in horror.  Sitting in Bischoff's desk with his feet resting on top was Paul Levesque.  "How did you that?  I mean, Steven Richards… he… he told me…"

"Richards is an idiot.  All I had to do was say I needed to talk to you but you wouldn't listen… that, and a fifty dollar bill was all it took for him to lie to you about Eric needing to see you," Paul said, pausing as the Raw General Manager's music blared through the arena.  "See, I knew the office would be vacant," he said, smirking at her.

Britney backed up against the door as he stood and came toward her.  "W-what do you want?" she asked, all of a sudden becoming very nervous.  She thought of screaming in hopes of catching someone's attention, but the office was in a very secluded part of the arena… the chances of someone hearing were slim.  All it would most likely succeed in would be pissing Paul off, and she wasn't sure if she could afford that right now.

"Well originally, I was just going to scare you a little… you know, mess with your head and send you back to the Women's Locker Room.  See, the reason loverboy's still at the hotel is because I sent Heyman after him with a knife."

Britney's eyes widened, "You did what?!"

  
Levesque laughed, "Calm down honey… the knife was strictly to slash his tires.  Anyway, as I was saying, I was just going to scare you a little… but unfortunately for you, plans have changed."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?"

He pressed her against the door, "Take a look at this."  He lifted his sunglasses, which Britney thought he still had on from the show, as part of his Evolution getup.  What she saw, however, was a dark bruise forming on his left cheek.  "You just can't keep your damn mouth shut, can you, you little bitch?"  Closing her eyes tightly, she bit her lip as he held her up against the door.

"Paul, I-I have no idea what you're talking about!  Please… just let me go," she insisted. 

Paul squeezed her tiny arms tightly, laughing in her face.  "I don't think so, honey.  Now, I'm well aware that Stephanie stayed with you and Adam this weekend, so if anything happened to me today, I'd expect it to be from him.  So, what I'm asking you is, how come it was Chris Irvine who came up and decked me today!?"

_Oh no,_ Britney thought.  _I knew I never should have told him… I knew how he'd react.  He's Chris for God sake… the man has a temper and a half._  She didn't say anything, just merely staring at him with big, widened blue eyes.  When he saw that she wasn't answering, he continued.

"You told him, didn't you?  I know Steph wouldn't tell him, and Adam hasn't been here for two hours, so who else would have?  You whined and cried to your best pal Jerky, just like you always do!  Well you know what?  THAT," he said, twisting her arm and causing her to cry out painfully, "was a big mistake.  Brock was right about you… that mouth of yours is always getting you in trouble, isn't it?  Your big mouth is gonna be the end of you one of these days.  As for right now though, I've got something *else* in mind."

Britney looked at him in disgust as he eyed her hungrily.  Acting on impulse, she kicked him swiftly in the shin, making sure the heel of her shoe made direct contact with his slack-encased leg.  Levesque groaned in pain… damn, these McMahon women were tough when they wanted to be!  As he released his grip on her arm, she went straight for the doorknob, desperately trying to open it so she could escape.  Just as she twisted the handle, he recovered and grabbed her by the hair.  He pulled her away from the door and she frantically tried to kick, claw, and punch him off of her.  She was no match for him physically and her shots were having little effect on him.  Paul threw her to Eric's desk, making sure she was sitting on it with her feet off the floor.  As she felt him pressing into her thigh, she acted instantly again, slapping him hard on the cheek.  He held her down with his right hand, bringing his left hand up to rub his cheek.  After rubbing it gingerly, he grabbed her chin, moving in close as he spoke to her.

"Sweetheart, things will be so much easier for you if you stopped fighting," he said, smirking at her.  He started to lean in closer, a funny look on his smug face.  _Ew, he's going to kiss me.  Ew, ew, ew, ew.  _She repeated her previous action, slapping him again, this time harder.  She looked up at Paul, gasping as she saw him raise his hand… he was going to hit her.  He slapped her back and she felt the pain stinging her cheek.  

"Don't dish it out if you can't take it," he said gruffly.  He pressed into her again, smacking her once more, this time to get her attention.  "Britney, dear, don't you know that a skirt of this length makes you look like a slut?  But that's fine with me… it also makes for easy access."  His eyes traveled down, examining the mini-skirt she was wearing.  He pushed her legs open, wrapping them around the outside of his own.  _Oh my god, I have to get out of here._  Britney squeezed her eyes shut as he kissed her on the neck, his hands traveling down her waist.  _Ew… oh my God, this is so gross._

"Paul, get off me NOW!" she yelled, balling her hand into a fist and punching him in the chest.

He growled, "Alright, that's it!  You are just like your cousin, you know that?  Typical McMahon whore… I told you I'd go easy on you if you didn't fight!  That's obviously not what you want… but that's just fine with me… I like it rough anyway.  You want to play the Game… well honey, you're about to meet the fucking champion.  Don't get stupid Britney… I'll make what I did to Stephanie look like a scene from a romantic love story in comparison to what I'll do to you."

_Shit._  Britney figured there was no use fighting anymore… she was going to lose.  It was obvious no one was coming, so she decided to just let him have her way with her.  Just as Levesque slid his hand under her skirt, the door burst open.  Paul's massive body blocked the door, so she had no clue who was there… she didn't really care… all that mattered was that someone was there.  Paul groaned and fell to the ground as something was slammed into his back.  Britney looked up and saw who her savior was… Chris, standing there with a steel chair in his hand.  Regardless of what people believed, getting hit with a steel chair hurt.

"Chris!" she exclaimed, noticing that Matt, Jeff, and Rob were behind him.  As the three men walked over and began pummeling Paul to ensure that he didn't get up, Chris dropped the chair, going straight over to Britney.  

"Are you okay?" he asked, wrapping her in a tight hug.  She didn't answer him, bursting into fresh tears as she clung tightly to him.  "Brit… did he hurt you?  Are you alright?" the blonde man asked frantically, checking her over.  It appeared as though nothing too bad had happened to her, but you could never be too sure.  

"I… I want… I…" she sobbed, shaking her head as she cried against him.  Chris felt awful… he knew this was all his fault.  _I just HAD to go and hit him.  God I'm stupid sometimes._  Picking her up off the desk, he carried her out of the office.  Once they were out the door, he gave her a minute to calm down before questioning again.

"What is it kid?  What do you want?" he asked, encouraging her to answer.  She wasn't exactly sobbing anymore, but she was still being kind of loud.  Not wanting to draw any attention, Chris tried to calm her down some more.  "Shh, okay… calm down… you gotta calm down.  Please Brit," he said soothingly.  It seemed to work, as after another minute she seemed to have stopped crying.

"I… want to… go back to the hotel.  I want… to see… Adam," she said, her voice still shaky from crying.  Chris nodded, placing her down on her feet and putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Alright, alright… I'll take you back to Adam now," he assured her.  Turning back to observe the office he saw Paul, and his face formed into a scowl.  He wanted to go back and stomp the man's face in for what he did to Stephanie and what he attempted to do to Britney.  However in order to do that he would have had to let go of Britney, and judging by the way she was clinging fiercely to him, it was obvious that she didn't want him to do that.  Still, he wanted to ensure that Paul got a little extra punishment… even if it wasn't from him.  

"Hey Rob," he called, continuing when Mr. Monday Night looked up at him expectantly, "do me a favor.  Kick that bastard extra hard in the balls… maybe that'll stop these urges he's been having as of late," Chris requested.  Rob looked up at him, that classic RVD grin spreading on his face.

"Dude, you got it."

**Hmm, will I ever write a happy chapter??  LOL, actually, there will probably be some happy ones coming up soon.  Anyway, what did you guys think??  I was a writing machine today, so I have up to Chapter 40 written… just need to get them typed up!!  LOL, I'll update soon, so let me know what you all think!  Thanks guys! 33**


	38. Part 37

PART 37

LATER THAT NIGHT

"They should be here by now," Adam said impatiently, checking his watch for what had to be the eighth time in the last fifteen minutes.  Stephanie eyed him sympathetically.

"I'm sure they're fine Adam… maybe they're stuck in traffic, or they couldn't get out of the arena right away, or maybe Stacy didn't relay the message right away, or…"

"Or maybe Britney's trapped in some room with Paul and there's no one there who's going to stop him from doing whatever it is he plans to do," he interjected bitterly.  Stephanie winced at his words… she understood why he was a bundle of nerves, but it still hurt.  Adam turned to eye the brunette and upon seeing the hurt look she was sending him, he realized what he'd just said.

"Aw Steph, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to just bring him up like that.  I'm just scared," he said apologetically, offering her a small smile.

"Don't worry about it, I understand… believe me I do.  I'm just as scared as you are, maybe even more so.  I know what he's capable of better than anyone else… I don't want him hurting her either," she replied quietly.  The two of them sat in silence as second after agonizing second ticked away, Britney and Chris still not coming through the door.  Stephanie suddenly felt really bad about all this… if she hadn't made Adam bring her back to the hotel, he wouldn't have gotten stuck here, and he could have been back at the arena and none of this would be happening.

"I'm sorry Adam… this is all my fault.  I should have never made you bring me back here," she voiced with guilt and concern.  Adam shook his head at her.

"Stephanie, don't talk like that.  None of this is your fault… it isn't mine either.  The only two people at fault here are Heyman and Paul," Adam replied sternly.  "They are the creeps here, not you.  I'm still unbelievably pissed at what Paul did to you, and now this… this is just the icing on the cake.  He's swiftly moving up the list of people I literally want to strangle."  Stephanie eyed Adam wonderingly… he had to be one of the greatest men she'd ever met.  Next to Jay, he was the nicest, sweetest man she knew. 

"Adam, you are so sweet.  You really are the greatest, most genuinely good man I have ever met.  I know this might not be the best time to go all mushy on you, but I am so grateful to have a friend like you.  I don't know what I did to deserve one, but I'm glad I did it.  You're like a big brother to me, and I love that.  Promise me that you will never ever change," Stephanie said softly, sending him a tiny grin.  Even in the circumstance, Adam offered her a small smile of his own.  

"Wow… thanks, Steph.  I mean, I guess I've thought of you as a little sister for awhile now, since we became friends, but I didn't know you felt the same way.  I'm glad you think of me that way, and I'm always here for you… remember that," he told her, reaching out to gently touch her hair.  As she softly touched his hand, there was a loud knock at the door.  In an instant, Adam was at his feet, taking a protective stance in front of Stephanie.  While he thought and hoped that it was Britney and Chris, he still was wary at the thought that it could be Paul Levesque on the other side of the door.

"Stay here," he said.  She obeyed his instructions and remained seated on the couch.  As he slowly made his way to the door, he tried to get a glimpse of who was on the other side, but he was unsure.  Those damn peep holes never worked right.  The Canadian slid the chain lock off and opened the door.

"Oh my God," he mouthed in a hushed tone, his fears somewhat being confirmed.  It was Chris at the door, and Britney was there, the blonde man's arm wrapped securely around her.  What scared him was the fact that she had obviously been crying, as her eyes were bloodshot and had a few stray tears hanging from them.  Chris let go of the death grip he had on her, allowing the young woman to collapse into her boyfriend's arms.  He held her for a minute, and she calmed down considerably.  Adam knew he would never get the story out of her, so he led her to Stephanie, having her sit down with her cousin.  He grabbed Chris and led him out into the hall.

"What happened?" Adam asked Chris fearfully, thinking the worst.  Watching Adam close the door behind them, Chris answered.

"I… Amy came to me with Stacy and she told me that you called.  They said Britney had gone into Bischoff's office, which I knew wasn't right cause he was in the ring.  I sent them back to the women's locker room, grabbed the Hardys, Rob, and a steel chair and headed out to the office.  That's when I, uh… found her.  And, um… Paul Levesque was in the room with her," he explained.  Adam's eyes widened.  _Oh man… what the hell happened?_  

As if reading Adam's mind, Chris continued, "I… I tried to ask her what happened right there, but she… she just kept asking for you.  I talked to her a little on the way back here, but all I got out of her was 'I'm fine, don't worry about it,' and that nothing too bad happened and she was just scared.  I think she was telling the truth… about nothing too bad happening, cause I did check her out somewhat.  That's all I can tell you."

Adam sighed loudly.  "Okay… thanks Chris.  For helping and bringing her back and… well, you're just always there for her, so thanks," he said graciously.  "I, uh… should probably take her back to our room now… try and get the story out of her."  

Chris nodded, "Okay… I'll stay here with Stephanie till Jay gets back," he volunteered as the two men stepped back into the room.  The women looked up to see them heading towards them.  Stephanie wasn't sure if Chris knew about her, but judging by the way he was moving so gingerly around her, she was guessing he did.  Adam took Britney's hand, leading her to the door.  

"Thanks again man," Adam said, waving to Chris and Stephanie as he and Britney stepped out.  Stephanie turned to face Chris, concern flooding her pretty face.  

"She's okay right?  I mean, you don't think he…"

"No… I think he scared her, I think he messed with her head, but I think that's it.  He scared the hell out of her actually, but I think we stopped him in time.  I swear, guys like him should all be castrated," Chris replied, scoffing at the thought of Levesque and all his self-proclaimed greatness.  Even Stephanie smiled a little at Chris's dry comment.

"Now _that's_ a good idea."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Back in their hotel room, Adam had finally calmed Britney down.  He had gotten her crying to mostly cease and he was now trying to get her to tell him what happened.

"Okay, come on now… we're alone, no one else is around.  Tell me what happened," he coerced softly, watching her intently.  Sighing, Britney decided he was right, and that she would have to tell him eventually, so she should just do it.  Telling him stuff like this was getting easier as time went on anyway.

"I… I went into Eric Bischoff's office cause they told me he wanted to see me.  Only when I… when I went in there, he was there… Paul was," she said.

Adam nodded, "And then what happened?"

"H-he… he told me he was mad because I told Chris that he raped Stephanie.  He said my mouth was going to get me in trouble, just like it always does.  Then he started looking at me funny, with this… hungry gleam in his eyes.  He pressed up against the door, and he was hurting my arm, so I kicked him in the shin.  Then he… he picked me up and put me on top of Eric's desk and he gave me that look again… like he was going to kiss me," she paused, stopping to take a breath.  Adam felt his anger growing a little hotter.  

"I slapped him… and he slapped me back.  H-he told me things would go easier if I didn't fight.    Then he…" she trailed off, suddenly looking away.  Adam felt his stomach drop… _he what?_  He was almost too afraid to ask.  Still, he had to know, so he could know if she was okay… and so he could know what degree of retribution he would have to plan for Levesque.  

"Then he what?  Just tell me, come on."  Britney swallowed hard, feeling the tears finally spill over once more as she answered.

"He… he kissed my neck, and I… I punched him.  He got angry and he told me that I was just like Steph.  He basically told me that what he did to Stephanie would be nothing compared to what he was going to do to me.  He got really rough.  I-I tried to fight him, but… he's just too strong.  He… he started to put his hand under the bottom of my skirt, and that's when Chris showed up and whacked him with the chair, and I saw Jeff, Matt, and Rob," she finished.  As thankful as Adam was that Chris showed up when he did, he was still absolutely incensed that everything went as far as it had.

"I don't fucking believe this," he said through gritted teeth.  

"Adam, I'm so sorry," Britney said quietly.

He sent her a confused look, "What for?"  She eyed him for a minute, hesitating before finally answering.

"You're mad," she said meekly.  Adam sighed again, pulling her into his strong arms.

"Not at you… never at you.  Honey, I'm mad because Paul had no right to lay a hand on you.  I-I'm not even mad at myself like I usually am… I'm just mad at him.  I just can't believe that asshole put his dirty hands on you," instantly regretting his last statement.  He watched painfully as the tears slid down her cheeks.  "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry that all this happened," he said, holding her tightly against him.

"Adam, it's okay.  I just… I just want to go to bed, okay?" she asked suddenly.  

Looking at her tired form, he silently agreed, pulling her up off the couch and leading her to the bedroom.  They got changed and separately went into the bathroom to wash up.  When Adam emerged from the bathroom, he found that Britney was already fast asleep.  Adam slid into the bed next to her, slowly pulling the covers over himself, so as not to disturb her.  The poor thing… she had to be exhausted.  Adam sighed quietly, wrapping his arm around her and following suit, quickly falling asleep.

THURSDAY- SMACKDOWN

Brock entered the arena Smackdown was being held in.  He walked briskly towards his locker room, keeping his eyes straight ahead.  After what had happened to him ten days ago, he wasn't in the mood to hear any crap from his coworkers.  He came across his locker room and pushed the door open, nodding hello to Paul Levesque.

"Hey man," Paul replied to the gesture.  "How's your head?"

Brock shrugged, "It's okay… been better and worse.  But I'm not walking around in circles or smacking into walls or anything, so I guess I'm probably okay.  Paul laughed, and Brock tossed his bag to the floor, stepping all the way into the room.  The huge man sat down on the bench, eyeing Paul as he sorted out his ring gear.  Paul saw Brock smirking at him out of the corner of his eye. 

"What?" he questioned curiously.

"Well?  Don't you want to tell me about how your weekend went?" Brock asked.  A sly grin formed on Levesque's face as he turned to face Brock. 

"Oh, I'd say it went well… _exactly_ as I planned," he responded, grinning like the Cheshire cat.  Brock grinned, opening his mouth to speak, but the locker room door busted open.

"Paul!  Paul, I have to tell you something!" Heyman called.  The heavy man stopped, leaning over to try to catch his breath.  He must have been running or something.  Paul and Brock glanced at him expectantly.  

"Adam… and Chris Jericho… they're on their way here!"  Paul's eyes widened, but Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Why?  What the hell did we do?"  the WWE Champion asked, confused.  Levesque suddenly grew a little nervous.  He knew that if Brock found out about his attacking Britney, he wouldn't exactly be proud of him.  Hell, as delusional as Brock was about Britney, he'd probably get downright pissed off at him.  Of course, he couldn't count on Heyman to keep his mouth shut.

"Oh, didn't ya hear?  On Thursday, Paul trapped Britney in Eric Bischoff's office, and he…"

"He did what?" Brock said coldly, turning to glare at the third man.  Before Levesque could react, the door burst open again.  Adam, accompanied by Chris, stormed into the room, walking right past Heyman and Lesnar.  

"I was going to do this last night at the house show, but then I decided against it.  I'd _much_ rather embarrass you in front of your pal," Adam said.  He pulled his right arm back and swung, nailing him hard in the jaw.  As he groaned in pain, Adam continued, "Stay the hell away from Britney."  With that, he turned and stalked out of the room.  Chris scoffed at Paul before following Adam.  

"Bastard," he said snidely.  After the two blonde Canadians were gone, Brock turned back to Levesque.  He copied Adam's actions, punching him right in the jaw.

"I never thought I'd say this, but Adam is right.  Stay away from Britney.  From now on, there's a new rule… keep your hands to your own bitch.  You can have Stephanie all to yourself, but Britney is mine," Lesnar said coldly.  

"I'm sorry man… I just… thought it would be good in the long run and…"

"Bullshit," Brock retorted.  "You were horny and high off of what you did to Stephanie.  Look, I've made it pretty clear that Britney belongs to me, and I don't want _anyone _touching her… not Adam, not you.  Don't touch my property again."

Paul groaned again, checking for any signs of blood, but it was clear.  "Okay, I get it.  I'll stay away from your little whore."

"Good," Brock said.  "Now that we understand each other, I say we cool it for a little while.  If word of any of what you did gets back to Vince, your ass is toast, and I'm almost positive that Vince will use that opportunity to bring me down with you.  We're gonna lay back, observe, and come up with a new plan."  

Both Paul's eyed him curiously.  "What kind of new plan?"  The grin Brock sent them put matching ones on each of their faces.

"Our biggest plan yet… our final plan."

**Well, there it is… the next chapter.  There will happy ones coming up soon, I promise.  LOL, anyways, you guys know the drill.  Keep the reviews coming, I'll update soon!!  And I know I've said this before, but to the people who do take the time to review, I really appreciate it!!  33**


	39. Part 38

PART 38

****

THREE WEEKS LATER

Stephanie was walking down the hallway of the hotel everyone was staying at.  The halls were silent, as it was very late.  She had a sudden craving for some kind of chips, so she quietly crept out of her room and headed to the vending machine down the hall.  She came across the machine, stopping in front of it.  She reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out the two quarters she'd grabbed, jumping when she heard a noise.  She turned to check, but on one seemed to be there.  Shrugging, she put her money into the coin slot and made her selection.  As she leaned down to pick up her snack, she heard the noise again.  She stood up slowly, freezing as she became suddenly aware that someone was behind her.  

_"Hey Steph."_

_  
She dropped her bag of chips at the sound of the voice, as she knew exactly who it belonged to.  _

_"Paul," she said nervously, turning to see him behind her.  _

_Without saying another word, Levesque grabbed her by the throat, kissing her roughly on the mouth.  She somehow managed to break away, fleeing down the hall.  She somehow managed to break away, fleeing down the hall. "HELP!" she screamed, trying to wake people up and bring them out to the hallway.  She made it all the way to the elevator, rushing inside and shutting the door.  Breathing heavily, she sighed with relief… she lost him._

_"Boo."_

_She shrieked, turning to see that she *hadn't* gotten away.  Paul was in the elevator with her!  Now there was no way she could escape him.  He pushed her to the ground, sitting on top of her as tears filled the brunette's eyes.  _Not again.  Oh God, not again._  She realized that her fears were coming true… he was going to rape her again.  _

_"No!" she screamed as Paul began to work on her pajamas.  "No, stop… please.   Stop, stop, stop…"_

"Steph!"  Another man's voice cut in, causing her to open her eyes.  She looked up, noticing that she was back in bed, and the man she had heard was Jay.  "Honey, wake up!  You're okay, nothing's wrong… you just had a nightmare," he said pulling her up towards him.

"Oh God, Jay!" she cried, throwing herself into his awaiting arms.  He gently rocked her back and forth, murmuring softly to her.  Whatever the dream was about must have been pretty bad, as she seemed to be shaking a little bit.  He thought that maybe this dream would be some kind of explanation as to why she was acting so funny lately.  He waited a few minutes to let her calm down, then he questioned her.

"What was the dream about?" he asked curiously.  Stephanie sighed in his arms.  What Jay didn't know was that she had that same dream every night since her rape.  On the other occasions, she had awoken in a cold sweat, trembling in fear.  Jay was such a heavy sleeper that he hadn't even heard her whimpers and movements on the other nights.  Tonight must have been the first time she screamed.  Stephanie decided that since Jay was expecting an explanation for the dream, she would also have to tell him about Paul… she just wasn't sure if he could handle it.       

"It was horrible!  H-he chased me down the hallway, a-and he trapped me in the elevator.  I-I told him to stop but he…" she trailed off, looking down.  

"He what?  And who is he?" Jay asked, nudging her as encouragement to continue.  

Stephanie hesitated, but she answered, "I-It… it was Paul.  He wanted… to rape me."

As Jay absorbed her words, he suddenly became confused.  Women usually didn't have dreams about that kind of stuff unless they saw a movie about it or unless…  _Oh my God._  Suddenly, it all hit him.  Why she was acting so differently, so tense and jumpy… it all made sense.  In a horrible, twisted way, the Canadian realized that everything made sense.

"Oh my God, Steph… Paul raped you," he mouthed.  He looked at her, watching the tears fill her big brown eyes.  The look she was sending him all but confirmed his thoughts.  

"Holy shit," he said, feeling everything sink in painfully.  His girlfriend had been raped, and not only did he not protect her and prevent it… he hadn't even known it had happened.  "Steph, I… why didn't you tell me?" he asked, obviously hurt.  

Stephanie shrugged, "I wasn't sure how you would react," she admitted.  To be honest, she was still unsure of that matter.  He wasn't showing much emotion, except maybe that he was crushed.  He looked so empty, like he was a little kid who got his candy stolen.  He looked completely floored, sucker punched right in the gut.  "I _wanted_ to tell you Jay, believe me.  But it was just so hard… you have to understand that.  I just… please, don't be mad," she pleaded.  That was the last thing she needed was to have him angry with her.

"I'm… I'm not mad… not at you anyway.  I just… how could anyone… I don't understand… how could anyone want to hurt you?" he asked, totally perplexed.  How could anyone want to hurt his poor, innocent Stephanie?  She hadn't done anything to deserve this.  

Stephanie eyed her boyfriend with concern.  She certainly hadn't expected him to react this way.  In all honesty, she expected him to go ballistic.  She wouldn't have been surprised if he got right up out of bed and marched right to Paul's room to set him straight.  She expected him to scream, not grow unusually quiet and sit there, not taking any kind of action.  It almost scared Stephanie, as Jay appeared to be paralyzed, frozen by all the information he was getting.  Then Stephanie noticed his deep brown eyes, which were filling with tears.  _I knew he couldn't handle this… I knew it would be too much.  I should have denied it._  

"Jay, please.  Don't… don't get too upset…"

"Don't get too upset?!  That bastard took advantage of you and he's getting away with it!  I'm sorry for getting worked up, but I want to skin that man alive!  Who the fuck does he think he is?" the blonde man cried, fighting to keep his emotions in check.  

"The Game," Stephanie answered quietly.

"Well that game's beat.  I, uh… I take it your dad and Shane don't know."

"Yeah," she said sheepishly.  "Only Britney and Adam… and, well, now Chris knows.  I-I wanted to tell them… but I wanted you to know first, so you…"

"Don't worry Steph… I'll go with you to talk to your Dad and your brother," he answered, reading her mind.  She smiled.

"Thank you… and thank you for not getting mad at me for not telling you sooner," she said gratefully.  Jay's gaze softened as he wrapped his arms around her.  

"I'd never be mad at you for something like this.  I won't let him get away with this Steph.  And I won't let him near you ever again, I promise," he said kissing her on top of her forehead.  Stephanie couldn't help but smile softly.  It felt nice to be loved and protected by somebody that she felt so strongly about.  The brunette knew that now that Jay was aware of what happened, she most likely wouldn't be having anymore nightmares.  

"I love you Jay Reso," she said sweetly.  He grinned, leaning down to kiss her once more.

"I love you too, Stephanie McMahon."

THE SAME NIGHT 

Britney quietly walked into her and Adam's room, shutting the door behind her.  After locking it, she headed for the bedroom, a huge grin on her face.  Even with all the drama and problems that had ensued four weeks ago, she was ecstatic.  She couldn't wait to tell Adam what she'd found out today.  She pushed the bedroom door open, hoping that he hadn't already fallen asleep.  Luckily, he was still wide-awake, laying on the bed and flipping through the channels on the TV with the remote.

"Hi," she said, grin still wide on her face.

"Hey," he said, looking up to see her.  "Did you have fun with Amy and Chris?"  She walked over to him, leaning down and planting a big kiss on his cheek.  

"Let me go get ready for bed, and then I'll tell you all about it," she replied.  

As she headed to the bathroom, she smirked at herself.  She had told Adam that she, Amy, and Chris were going on a girls/Chris night out thing… to "bond with Chris and help him get in touch with his feminine side."  She laughed as she recalled what Adam had said in response.  _"Ha, like he needs any help with that."  _While it was true that she went out with Amy and Chris, they hadn't gone to a diner for late dinner as they'd explained.  She didn't want Adam to know where they really were.  If he found out where she was before she went, it would have certainly raised concern.  Britney sighed happily… she couldn't believe this.  She was so excited and eager to tell him that she skipped washing her face, rushing back to the bedroom after brushing her teeth.  She took a deep breath and stepped back into the bedroom.  She tried her hardest to keep composure, but that grin worked its way back onto her face.  She rushed to the bed, sitting next to him on the edge and wrapping her arms around his neck.  

"I guess you had a good time," he said, grinning as well.  Instead of responding with words, she kissed him, feeling his arms come out to encircle her waist.  He was a little taken aback by her actions… not that he didn't enjoy kissing her, it was just usually him that started up that type of thing.  Nevertheless, he was pleasantly surprised and wasn't planning on protesting any time soon.  After a minute or so, Britney broke the kiss, staring into his deep eyes.

"I love you Adam," she said, grinning again as she cupped his face in her hands, kissing the tip of his nose.  

"I love you too… but what's all this about?" he said, unable to contain the small laugh accompanying his question.  

"I have to tell you something… something amazing," she replied.  Adam's curiosity was growing by the second.  

"Well, what is it?" he asked eagerly.  Whatever it was, it had to be something big, judging by the huge grin on her face.

"Well, Chris, Amy, and I didn't exactly go to a diner," she explained.  "We went… somewhere else."  Adam raised an eyebrow, this wasn't helping.

"Come on babe, the suspense is about to kill me," he said, suddenly finding himself feeling as excited as she looked.  He anxiously wondered what it could be, but he didn't care.  That is, whatever it was, any good news was a warm welcome in their lives.  Britney's gaze softened as she looked at him.

"Let's just say I hope that the world is ready for a joint production," she said.  Adam's heart skipped a beat.  _What did she just say?_  

"What do you mean?" he asked, hoping to God that they were on the same page.  She looked into his eyes again, smiling softly as she replied.

"Baby, I'm pregnant."

**Told you it would be happy!!  LOL, The next part's pretty happy too… I guess I'm just in a good mood!  So, what did yah think??  Were you surprised??  LOL, like I said, there's another happy chapter after this… just don't get used to it.  My mind is too evil for that… LOL.  Anyway, hope you liked this chapter.  It's getting near the end… not too near, but we're well into the last half of the story.  Hope you guys are enjoying it so far!!  33yahs!!**


	40. Part 39

PART 39

****

"You… a baby?" Adam asked in awe.  Britney nodded and her grin widened.

"Yeah, that's where we went… to the doctor, and they confirmed it," she said.  Her heart swelled with joy as he looked at her in absolute shock.

"Oh my God… I'm gonna be a daddy," he said in a hushed tone, his eyes filled with amazement.  

Britney nodded, and she knew she'd be unable to knock that grin off her face if she tried.  She knew what having a baby meant to Adam, so she was absolutely overjoyed at the moment.  After everything he'd done for her and given to her, she finally would be able to give something back.  Suddenly, Adam wrapped her in a tight hug, jumping off the bed and spinning her in his arms.  He gently sat her down on the bed, kneeling in front of her.  

Resting his hands on her knees, he asked, "How far along are you?"

"The doctor I saw said not long… only about 3 and ½ weeks.  She said the baby is due around the first week of January, like the 4th or 5th," Britney replied.  Placing a hand on her now flat stomach, Adam nodded in amazement.

"Wow… almost a month already.  Wow, Brit this is… this is just totally freakin awesome!" he exclaimed, unable to find any other words to describe how he felt at the moment.  Britney laughed softly at his comment.

"I have to agree… it is really freakin awesome.  I'm so glad you're happy Adam.  I-I feel like I'm finally giving you something in return for all you've done for me," she said sincerely.

"Well, this is the best thing I could ever have asked for.  A baby… I get chills just thinking about it," he responded.  

"Me too," Britney agreed, feeling the goosebumps rise and cover her skin.  

Rising off his knees to sit next to her, Adam ran a hand through his hair.  _A baby._  Now he could see why she was so ecstatic when she came in.  The thought of upping the security around her crossed his mind… Brock was liable to be very pissed when he found out.  Still, he refused to let that ruin the moment.  He was so happy… beyond elated even.  It truly had to be the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.  Britney was going to have his baby.  There was a tiny little human growing inside of her… one that he helped create.  The whole idea amazed him.  Moving again, he laid her down, positioning himself next to her.

"I love you," he said, kissing her gently.  Then, he moved his way down her body, stopping at her stomach.  He lifted up the bottom of her tank top.  

"And I love you," he said, kissing her belly before sliding back up to her face.  He lifted the covers over them, smiling as she snuggled against him.  Wrapping his strong arms around her, Adam gave an elated sigh.  He couldn't think of another place in the world he'd rather be at the moment.  _A baby._  He was snapped back into reality when she pulled his face down to hers, kissing him.  As their kiss deepened, Adam sighed again into her mouth.  _Yup… there's nowhere in the world that I would rather be._

THAT FRIDAY 

Following their big news, Adam and Britney wanted to celebrate… but they didn't want to do it alone.  They made a few phone calls and, boom—party at Britney's house.  They had invited their closest friends—namely Jay, Stephanie, Shane, Chris, Amy, Stacy, Matt, Jeff, Rob, Kurt, Trish, Terry, Rey, and Mark—to join them to basically hang out.  They didn't want anyone else to know about the baby yet, so they made everyone who was coming swear not to tell anyone.  It wasn't a big catered party with a lot of food or anything… it was just a "relax and hang out" party.  Still, in the WWE, a chance to just hang out and relax _was_ a party.  Adam was sitting on the couch talking with Rey, Terry, and Kurt when Shane approached him.

"Hey, do you think we could talk for a minute?" he requested.  Adam took Shane's gesture towards the other side of the room as a hint that he wanted the conversation to be private, so he stood, excused himself, and followed him.

"So… how's it going _Dad_?" Shane asked, a huge grin breaking out on his face.  Adam grinned as well.

"It's going great… it's amazing isn't it?" he said, looking over in awe as he watched Britney talk with the girls.  

"It is… it really is," Shane commented.

He studied Adam intently, watching the expression on his face with great interest.  The Canadian was looking at his baby cousin as though… well, as though he was completely, entirely, head-over-heels in love with her.  Even though she was sitting with three extremely attractive women, it was clear that Adam's eyes were focusing only on her.  

"Anyway Adam," Shane said, snapping him back to attention.  "I was wondering, since Britney's pregnant and all, what are you guys going to do about living arrangements?"  Adam grinned at him.  _Aha… so THAT'S what this is all about._

"Actually Shane, it's funny you should ask that.  I was planning on asking her to move in with me," he replied tentatively.  He wasn't too sure of how Shane would react to this.  While Adam knew that Shane wanted them to live together, he also knew that Florida was pretty far away from Connecticut. Moving Britney to Tampa would mean taking her away from Shane.  He had already begun to lose his sister, who was in the process of moving all her things to Jay's house.  He just wasn't too sure of how fond Shane would be of the idea of losing his baby cousin as well.  The blonde man looked up to try and read Shane's expression, which looked just as tentative and hesitant as his did.

"I… that's great Adam," Shane said sincerely, smiling genuinely.  "I mean, I first I thought I wouldn't like the idea, but you know what… she's not a kid anymore.  She'll always be my baby cousin, but she doesn't need me to protect her anymore… she has you."

Adam smiled, replying, "I'm glad you're okay with it.  If there's one person who's approval really means a lot to me, it's you.  And don't worry, I'll take care of her, I promise."

Shane grinned, "I know you will.  Hey, what do you say we stop being mushy and go grab a drink?"  Adam agreed and the two men headed toward the kitchen.  On the way up the steps, Adam turned to see Britney once more, who was now smiling as Rob approached her.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

"Hey Mom," Rob said, sliding into the space that Stacy vacated for him when she saw him approach.

"Hey Rob… don't call me Mom… it makes me feel old, and I'm 22," she said, grinning at him.

"Oh, fine… you never were any fun.  Anyway, I never did properly congratulate you, so here I am.  Congratulations Mo—I mean, Britney," he said, opening his arms to her.

"Thanks Robbie," she said, accepting his hug.  

"So girls, I heard the giggles.  What… or should I say who… are we talking about?" he asked, eyebrows raising with great interest.

"WE were just talking about Ric Flair," Stacy said.

"Yeah, and how he's made of rubber!" Britney said, laughing girlishly.  The other women giggled along with her.  Rob couldn't help but laugh either.  It was true, Flair's skin did move in a rubbery fashion, especially when he wrestled.  Rob smiled, deciding it was time for him to entertain the women.

"Oh, I know!" he said in his best girly voice… one that you'd have to hear to believe.  "They should like, make him wear a shirt or something cause he's just so like, oh my God!"  The four women cracked up at his comments.  They literally continued laughing for about two whole minutes.  _Damn, I'm good_, Rob thought as he watched the women nearly fall over laughing.

"Oh man Rob, that was hilarious," Amy said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Yeah… I didn't know that the Whole F'N show was also a closet Valley Girl!" Britney exclaimed.  Rob's eyes widened.

"Okay, you got me.  It's my secret identity, but I don't want any of the guys to think of me differently, so lets keep it as our own little secret," he said, causing them to burst into another fit of giggles.  

"Oh God, you're so funny," Stacy said, trying to control her laughter.

"Yeah, thanks Rob," Stephanie added.

"I aim to please," Rob said grinning.  He looked over to the open back door, peering outside to see Jeff doing backflips off the diving board of Britney's pool.  Matt, Trish, and Jay were out there as well, shaking their heads at the daredevil.  Leave it to Jeff to do flips into a freezing cold pool in the first week of June.

"Well dudettes, I'll be back… I'm gonna go show that loser how one of those things is _really_ done," he said.

"Bye Robbie," the girls said as he stood up and walked away, turning back and blowing kisses at them when they called to him.

"Wow, we sound just like the girls from Charlie's Angels… only it wasn't 'Bye Charlie," it was "Bye Robbie'," Amy said.  Britney laughed along with her friends.

She looked over to the steps, seeing Adam and Shane coming down, each man with a beer in his hand.  Britney first met eyes with Shane, who winked at her.  She smiled and stuck her tongue out at him, laughing as he replied in kind.  As he headed out to the backyard to watch Jeff and Rob, her gaze shifted.  Her eyes met Adam's and they both smiled.  Everyone around could easily tell that both Adam and Britney were totally elated.  There was a twinkle in their eyes that just hadn't been around for the longest time.  Ever since this whole thing with Brock had started, the two of them always seemed to have something missing.  Now, that was being made up for.  They could start the family that Adam had always dreamed of.  You couldn't help but be happy for them… they deserved it.

**Two happy parts in a row!!!  WooOOoo, I'm on a roll!  LOL, don't get used to it.  This is a sad story, so I'll have to return to sad soon.  Anyway, let me know what you think!!  Thanks for all the reviews guys! 33yahs!!**


	41. Part 40

PART 40

MONDAY

Stephanie sat with Vince and Shane just after a production meeting at the arena.  After the creative team departed, the three of them were discussing the direction of a few things in the company, specifically what they were going to do to get Britney off the air and how they were going to get the titles off the current champions, Brock and Paul.

"I think we should just have her go out there and announce the pregnancy… and she could bring Adam out with her.  Everyone already knows they're together… it wouldn't be a _huge_ surprise to anyone," Stephanie said.

"I kind of agree with you Steph, but what about Bad Blood?  She's booked for that tag match with Lita against Victoria and Jazz," Vince brought up.

"She's not wrestling!" Shane cut in protectively.  "She's _pregnant_ Dad."

Vince nodded, "I _know_ that… but there's still two shows left until the pay-per-view.  We had segments planned involving her.  I think what we'll do for Raw and Smackdown is have Amy wrestle both women, Charlene on one night, Lisa Marie on the other.  That way, she can be out there, but not have to physically get involved.  We need to get her out of the picture at Bad Blood.  We could always run an injury angle, but I don't want her to do anything physical."

Stephanie shook her head.  She strongly believed that Britney should be able to tell the fans the truth about her upcoming absence.  "Dad, I still think they should announce it.  I mean, Edge doesn't have a match, and all the loyal fans know about Britney and Adam being together off-screen anyway.  They should go to the ring together during Bad Blood and announce the baby together," she said firmly.  Vince and Shane both nodded their heads in approval.  It sounded like a good enough idea.  It was rare that the Superstars got out of character, especially in the ring, but the fans almost always received it well.

"Alright… we'll do that," Vince agreed, turning to check with Shane, who once again nodded his head in approval.  "Good, then that's settled.  Now, onto the Heavyweight Title match.  As much as I want to get the title off of Paul, I think we've booked ourselves into a ditch.  Nash is just not convincible anymore as champion."

Stephanie winced noticeably at the mention of Paul's name.  She still hadn't told her father or her brother about what he did to her.  It wasn't as though it was going to be the easiest task in the world.  What would she do, just pop up and say, "Hey Dad, guess what?  Paul raped me," or something like that?  As Vince continued to talk, Shane eyed his sister curiously.  She'd been acting so strange for over a month now, and she all of a sudden had gotten this funny look on her face when their father began discussing the Title situation.  Suddenly, Vince's cell phone rang.  As he answered it, he discovered that he was needed out in the ring.  He quickly said goodbye to his children and excused himself from the room, saying they would talk more later.  Leaning forward on the black leather couch, Shane got Stephanie's attention.

"Steph?  Are you okay?" he asked, a gleam of concern in his eyes.  

"Yeah why?" she replied quickly.  Shane didn't like how fast she answered him… it was like she knew the question was coming.  And that meant that something must have been wrong.

"Because you've been acting weird lately, and I want to know what's up," he stated flatly.  

Stephanie felt her stomach flutter.  There was no way she could tell him… not alone.  The brunette could only imagine what her brother would do to Paul when he found out.  _"I swear, guys like him need to be castrated."  _Thinking back to Chris's comment from a few weeks back, Steph wouldn't be surprised at all if Shane to that statement to heart and *actually* castrated Paul.  The way Shane was about her and Britney… if he found out that anyone so much as even touched them, he could go crazy enough to kill them.  It wasn't so much that she was afraid to tell him because it hurt her, she was afraid to tell him because someone else would most likely get hurt.  Once he saw that she wasn't responding, Shane asked her another question.

"Are you and Jay okay?  You're not having problems, are you?" he asked.  Stephanie eyes shot open.

"Problems?  No, we're definitely not having any problems… Jay's great," she assured him.

Jay was great… he was being amazingly helpful and sweet towards her since finding out about the whole ordeal.  He was very loving and careful about touching her too often.  He was extremely patient with the shifts of mood that she had been suffering lately.  He was being absolutely incredible to her… he wasn't even pressuring her to tell her father and Shane.  In fact, all he'd said about that was to wait until she was positive she was ready, and to make sure he was there with her.

"Well, that's good," Shane said with relief.  "but then, what is it?"  Stephanie sighed audibly, running her manicured fingers through her hair.  

"I… I have to tell you something Shane… you and Dad both.  I-I just… I can't tell you now.  I want Jay and Britney and Adam to be with me.  I-I will though, soon.  In fact… I'll tell you on Sunday.  It'll just be a day of announcements.  Until then, don't mention anything to Dad, and please, just don't hound me about it.  It's going to be kind of hard for me, but I will tell you guys, I swear.  To her surprise, Shane agreed without a fight.  _Good_, Stephanie thought.  _That gives me six days to think it through and to plan this all out._

BAD BLOOD- JUNE 15, 2003 You think you know me… 

The people in the Compaq Center in Houston were at their feet at the familiar sound, but were a little surprised.  Edge wasn't scheduled to wrestle that night, but still, the Edge Army was out and were happy to see him.  Sure enough, as the smoke cleared at the top of the ramp, the Canadian emerged, clad in black leather pants and a plain black button-down shirt, buttons undone of course.  Adam sighed almost nervously, taking a deep breath and heading to the ring.  He slid into the ring, making all his trademark stops and poses, and then grabbed a microphone from Lillian Garcia.  

"Thanks guys," he said in response to all the cheers.  "I, uh… wanted to come out here tonight to make an important announcement.  Not to make an announcement as Edge, but to make one as  myself, Adam Copeland."  The crowd hushed down a bit, immediately intrigued.  "Well actually, the announcement I have to make isn't one I can make on my own.  So, I'm gonna get a little help from the first lady of the Edge Army."   The people stood again, cheering loudly as Britney's music hit, and she appeared at the top of the ramp.  Adam smiled as she made her way down to the ring, waving to the crowd as she did so.  He grinned at the outfit she had on… a black leather skirt and a Edge Army tee shirt, cropped up Amy Dumas and Jeff Hardy style.  _That's what happens when you let Jeff Hardy and Amy come into a room with your clothes and scissors in their hands. _ As she came to the ring, the two of them met eyes, grinning at each other.  

"Here we go," she said, letting him take her hand to lead her to the center of the ring.  Adam didn't let go of her hand, passing the microphone to her free hand.  Britney pulled away, turning away from him to face the people.

"Before we tell you our *real* announcement, I have to tell you all something else.  Unfortunately, I can't compete tonight, so Trish Stratus is going to take my place in my tag match with Lita against Jazz and Victoria.  But hey," she said, beginning to hear traces of disappointed boos, "I've got plenty of reason, trust me.  As much as I would love to get my hands on the psycho and the bitch, I really can't compete."

  
Adam then took the mic from Britney's hand, surveying the crowd as he continued for her, "What she means is, there is a perfectly legitimate reason as to why she's not wrestling tonight.  You guys know she wouldn't bail out on a match last minute unless she had a really good reason to.  You see, in about 8 months, there will be a little Edge or Edgette running around."  The people gave a collective gasp as Adam passed the mic over again. 

"He's right… everyone, I'm pregnant."  The fans cheered loudly, happy for the young couple as they stood beaming in the middle of the ring.  She let them cheer for a moment, basking in the wonderful feeling, before she spoke into the microphone again.  

"Hey, I just wanted to say thank you… thank you for coming out and watching me do what I love to do.  I'm a McMahon, so trust me when I say that there is nothing more satisfying then coming out here night after night and hearing all you guys cheer for me.      I'll be out for Edge's matches for a few weeks, but I won't be doing anything to physical, and after the next few weeks you won't be seeing me around much.  I'll miss you all so much while I'm gone, but I promise… I *will* be back," she said, getting another warm response.  She waved goodbye and turned to walk away, but Adam caught her, grabbing her by the wrist.  He pulled her back to where she was and put his hands on her shoulders, signaling for her to stay put.  He took the microphone out of her hand.

"Before we go, I have one more thing to say, and to all the guys out here who just want to see someone get their ass kicked, bear with me, I'll be done soon," he said, hearing laughter in the crowd.  He grabbed Britney's right hand with his left, entwining their fingers together.  

"I just wanted to say that it's been nearly a year now Brit, and I honestly could never have asked for a better life—or a better person to share it with.  I know we've gone through of lot of shit over the last year, but I still think we have one of the strongest relationships in the world.  You are an amazing woman, and I have got to be one of the luckiest men in the world.  You've given me so much with or without realizing it, and now… now you're about to give me the best thing I could ever have hoped for.  I just… I just want you to know that I'm ALWAYS here for you, and I love you," he said.  He looked down to meet her eyes, seeing the tears glistening in them.  He smiled brightly, as he knew for once that they were tears of joy.  He supposed that if he wasn't in the ring with the entire male 18-34 demographic watching, he would be tearing up too.  Then again, he just spent about a minute of their precious pay-per-view time telling his girlfriend, who happened to be one of the best looking divas in the company, how much he loved her, so he supposed they were already plotting his murder.  To his surprise though, he heard cheers, not only from the female fans, but the guys too. 

"Oh Adam… I love you too," she said, pulling his face to hers and kissing him.  The crowd whistled, cheered, and hollered for two for their favorite Superstars.  After a short, yet very sweet kiss, Adam pulled away, enveloping Britney in a tight hug.  He kissed on her the forehead, placing his hand on her stomach again.  He thought happily of their bright future together… and the family they were about to start.

**Wow, three in a row where the chapter is for the most part happy!!  LOL, but you know what that means…  Anyway, wow… I can't believe I'm up to Chapter 40 already.  I didn't envision this story to go that far.  Anyway, you guys know what to do… review!!!!  Let me know what you think!!  I'm going away soon, so I wanna get as much in as I can before I go!  33yahs!!!!**


	42. Part 41

PART 41

****

BACKSTAGE

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman sat in their locker room, both men staring at the monitor in total disbelief.  The two of them watched in a shocked silence as Britney and Adam went down to the ring to make an announcement.  _"I'm pregnant."  _The words coming from the television sunk right into Lesnar's brain.  

"She's WHAT?!" Brock screamed, jumping up out of his chair.  His sudden outburst also caused Heyman to jump right out of his seat.  The look forming on Brock's face was one of pure evil… enough to scare the living hell out of Heyman.  He could feel himself shaking as he spoke.

"I… I-I think she said that she's preg-"

"I HEARD what she said Paul!  This… this is bullshit!" Brock interrupted, looking back at him.

He walked over to the TV, pressing the power button and shutting it off.  Britney was pregnant with Adam Copeland's baby?  How could that be possible?  _She can't… she can't do that.  She can't have someone else's kid… she's supposed to have MINE!  _Brock couldn't comprehend how Britney could possibly be carrying a baby that didn't belong to him.  Brock could feel his blood quickly coming to a boil.  This wasn't right… she should be carrying *his* baby, not Adam Copeland's!  Paul could see the rage growing in Lesnar's eyes.  He looked like he was about to explode, and Heyman didn't want to be in the same country, let alone the same room when that happened.

"That stupid whore," Brock muttered angrily, beginning to pace back and forth.  Then, out of nowhere, he screamed, letting out an animal-like roar.  He yanked the TV cord out of the electrical socket on the wall, picked up the TV and hurled it across the room.  Heyman had to duck as it flew right by his head, crashing into the wall and then hitting the ground with a loud smash.  Heyman gasped, looking at the television, which was now in pieces on the floor.

"Uh… Brock?  Maybe you should calm down a little," Paul suggested fearfully.  If Brock left the locker room like this, he could very well kill somebody.  Brock snorted at Heyman's words, turning and walking towards him.  Paul flinched as Brock grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Calm down?" Lesnar repeated seemingly in disbelief.  "You want me to calm down?  I gave that slut five *years* of my life!  And what is this?  This… this is the thanks I get for all the work I put into that damn relationship?  This is fucking thanks I get for all the shit I've done for her?!  I saw her first, I fell in love with her first… and what do I get?  NOTHING!  You know, I talked to her before about having a baby, and you know what that bitch said?  She told me she _wasn't ready_.  I'm _not ready_ Brock… can't we just wait till we're older?  Then, good old Adam Copeland shows up and she's all of a sudden ready?  I don't fucking think so!"  Paul's eyes widened as he saw Brock heading in the direction of the door.  

"W-where are you going?" he asked worriedly.  Brock turned back to look at him.

"I'm going to find Britney and set her straight," he replied pointedly.  Just as he was about to turn the handle on the door, Heyman jumped up and grabbed him by the wrist.

"No!  You… you don't want to do that Brock.  It would not be a very smart move.  Maybe we should just sit back, take some time to collect our thoughts, and wait…"

"Wait for WHAT?  The baby to pop out eight months from now?  And just so you know, this isn't about *you*… it's about me and Britney!  You know Paul, you've been nothing but an annoyance to me lately," Brock said.  He sent Paul an angry glare, but he did back away from the door, so Heyman was satisfied. 

"Now Brock," he said in an attempt to calm the younger man down, "you don't mean that.  I'm just trying to prevent you from doing something that I guarantee you will regret.  I'm just pointing you in the right direction… I just want to help."

"Well maybe I don't WANT your damn help!  You know, you've fucked things up more than you've helped them around here!  And you have *NO* idea what Britney just said.  Did you not _hear_ her say she was pregnant… with another man's baby?  She can't do this to me… I won't let her," Lesnar growled, throwing himself onto the couch.

Paul eyed Brock with a funny look… almost one of concern.  _He's fucking insane._  "What do you plan on doing?" he asked shakily. 

He wasn't sure what kind of idea Brock had in mind, but he really hoped it didn't have anything to do with him.  He had already lost his spot as head of the creative team for slashing Adam Copeland's tires, receiving a huge demotion to mere consultant.  Brock's "plans" got more and more devious… not to mention illegal… as time went on.  Heyman knew Brock was a short fuse away from snapping on him, and he sure wasn't ready for that.  He had already gotten black eyes from both Adam and Chris, not to mention a load of death threats from Jay Reso and Mark Callaway.  Hell, even Kurt Angle, who some people considered the nicest guy in the company, threatened violence on him while he was his on screen agent.  Heyman locked eyes with Brock, and he couldn't help but shudder.  The intensity, the evil in his eyes… it was just downright scary.  He looked like a madman.  

"What… are you planning… on doing about it?" Heyman asked again, fighting to keep his voice steady and firm.  Brock smirked, laughing loudly.

"I don't know man, I really don't.  But if you ask me, three's a crowd… and one of them has to go."

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Bad Blood was over, and now Stephanie, Jay, Britney, Adam, and Shane were sitting with Vince in the Chairman's hotel suite.  Stephanie fumbled with her hands nervously as Vince and Shane eyed her expectantly.

"Well honey?  What do you have to tell us?" Vince asked softly.  The people in the room watched the pained expression overcome the brunette's pretty face.  Jay put his arm around her, silently trying to comfort her.

"I-I, um… well, I wanted to tell you that I…"  She trailed off suddenly.  She looked around the room, seeing the sympathetic gazes she was getting from her family and from Adam and Jay.  Stephanie suddenly got the feeling that they felt sorry for her… and pity was the last thing she needed them to feel.  

"I… I… can't do this," she said, standing and hurrying out of the room.  The remaining five people sat for a moment, unsure of how to react.  After a few seconds though, Jay was up after her.  

"I'll be right back," he mumbled, rushing after her.  He exited the room, looking both left and right in search of his fleeing girlfriend.  He saw her about halfway down the hall, and he ran to catch up with her.  

"Hey," he said, grabbing her arm and spinning her to face him.  "What's going on?"  She looked away for a moment, then brought her gaze back to his. 

"I just… I don't think I can tell them," she said sheepishly.

"Yes you can.  Steph, you have to tell them, they're waiting.  Come on now, honey… you promised me you'd tell Shane and your dad if Adam, Britney and I went with you," Jay reminded her.  Stephanie gripped his forearms tightly, as though she needed to hold on to him in order to stand up.

"I know Jay, it's just… it's really hard.  Even harder than I thought it would be," she admitted.  Jay eyed her with concern, running his hand through his recently shorn locks.

"I know it's hard baby, but you just have to do it.  I'll be right by your side, just like I promised," he assured her.  "Now come on, let's go."  He made a move in the direction of Vince's room, but Stephanie didn't budge.  

"I-I… I don't know.  I… I want to, but I'm just not sure I can.  Maybe I should just give up on this," she said dejectedly, lowering her head in shame.  _God, she so doesn't deserve this._  Jay couldn't believe what he'd heard from her mouth.

"Stephanie Marie McMahon, I am really shocked.  All your life you've been a strong person… you've never backed down from anything.  That's what drew me to you, and that's why I fell in love with you in the first place.  I love that fiery, take no bullshit attitude… what's happened to it?  Do you honestly mean to tell me that you, Stephanie McMahon, are going to give up on this?  You're going to just _not_ tell your father and brother something they deserve to know?" he asked her.  The Canadian hoped he didn't come across as degrading, because he certainly wasn't trying to be.  He just wanted her to see that she wasn't giving herself enough credit for all the strength she had buried inside her.

"I… I guess not.  I mean, I guess I can't just give up," she said, giving him a teary laugh.  "You're right Jay… I can do this.  I need your support, but I really can do this."  Jay's face broke into a grin.

"That's my girl," he replied with satisfaction, pulling her into a warm embrace.  She wrapped her arms around him as well, enjoying the simple pleasure of him holding her.

"Thank you Jay… for being so good to me.  I, uh… I owe you a lot.  I love you," she said, grinning up at him as she pushed away slightly.

"That is just music to my ears babe… I love you too," he replied, pulling her up to him for a kiss.  Stephanie leaned back against the wall as Jay slid his tongue tentatively into her awaiting mouth.  The kiss actually lasted awhile, until Jay broke it off, a little surprised.  They hadn't had a _real_, passionate kiss like that since… well, since she was raped.  Jay couldn't be happier about that, but he knew they had business to attend to.  He took her hand in his, leading her back in the direction of Vince's suite.

"Come on," he said.  "You've got a lot of explaining to do."

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER 

Stephanie and Jay were now gone, leaving Vince, Shane, Adam, and Britney in the suite.  The two had come back after Jay had gone after Stephanie and caught up to her before she could get too far.  Stephanie finally got up the nerve to retell the entire story, telling her father and brother exactly what had happened.  Surprisingly, Vince and Shane kept their emotions pretty much in check while listening to her.  However, Stephanie knew that that wasn't going to last long, and she didn't want to be around when her words sunk in and they went nuts.  She said what she came to say, then she and Jay excused themselves and went back to their room.  Back in Vince's suite, the boss and his son were just realizing what Stephanie had said.  The initial shock had worn off, and they were just now beginning to realize and understand what it was Stephanie told them.

"Oh my God," Vince said, looking at Adam and Britney in disbelief as he recalled what his daughter had just told him.  _"Daddy, Shane… Paul raped me."  _ Adam glanced at his girlfriend for a moment.  He wanted Vince to know that not only had Paul raped Stephanie, he tried to do the same to Britney.  He didn't think that she would be particularly interested in telling him about it though, so he kept his mouth shut.  

"I… I don't believe it," Vince said, shaking his head in shock.  

"Believe it," Adam said.  "You heard what she said.  He followed her to Jay's parents' house and he attacked her there… she came to my mom's in the middle of the night the day it happened.  I would have told you sooner, but I wanted her to…"

"I understand.  Did… did you at least get her to a hospital or clinic or some place to get her checked out?" Vince asked hopefully.  Adam shamefully shook his head.

"No.  I know I should have, but she refused.  She said she wasn't in very much pain… and she," he said, gesturing to Britney, "said to respect her wishes."  Britney sent Adam an odd gaze after his comment.  _Sure, make me look like the bad guy._  

Adam and Vince continued talking about the events that had transpired following Stephanie's rape, including the incident where Paul slashed Adam's tires, which Heyman got demoted for.  While they continued on, Britney stopped paying attention, her mind drifting to other things… specifically to Shane.  She eyed her cousin with both concern and confusion.  As much as she tried, she just couldn't read his expression.  There was something about his face that was unreadable.  It wasn't shock, it wasn't hurt, it wasn't anger… Britney could plainly see those things in his eyes.  He almost… he almost looked as though he was going to cry.  Britney couldn't recall a time in her life where she'd ever seen Shane succumb to tears.  He just didn't do it.  All of a sudden, he jumped off the couch, muttering a string of curses as he left the room.  The three remaining people exchanged glances, but then Britney stood, calling after him as she exited the room as well.  Vince eyed Adam, the only other person left in the room.  

"Since I'm about to make a very important decision as to what I'm going to do with Levesque, now would be a good time to tell me anything else I need to know before I make up my mind," Vince instructed.  Adam sighed loudly… Britney was no longer in the room, so he decided to tell Vince what he knew.  

"Actually, there is something else.  He… Paul I mean… the night Heyman slashed my tires, that was his idea.  He… he had him do that so he could get Britney alone in the arena. He got her in Eric Bischoff's office while he was in the ring.  H-he… he tried to do the same to her, but Chris found out somehow and caught him," he explained.  The Canadian looked over at his boss… he wasn't sure what you could call the expression on his face.  He was almost confused, as Vince seemed unusually calm… he didn't even look mad.

"Vince, not to be rude or anything, but you don't look too mad.  Aren't you upset at all?" Adam asked in disbelief.  Vince returned his glance.

"My baby girl was raped by a guy I thought would marry her one day.  How do you think I feel?  Of course I'm upset!  I've never been so pissed off in my life!  But somebody has to be the strong one.  Someone has got to take control of the situation, and I figured that it should be me.  So, I'm doing my best to push my emotions, which are currently telling me to hunt Paul down and skin him alive, aside for my daughter's sake.  Now with what you told me, that only makes me angrier.  Not only did he hurt Stephanie, he tried to do the same to Britney.  I think that with all of the information I've received, I've made my decision," he said.

"Well what are you going to do?" Adam asked curiously.  

Vince almost smiled.  He finally had a legitimate excuse to get rid of the bastard, and maybe even lock him up too.  "Game's over.  As of tomorrow morning, he won't be around to hurt my girls or anyone around here.  Not only will I be notifying the police, I am going to officially fire Paul Levesque."

**Here's the next part… I've managed to yet again stay away from anything *too* sad.  This part wasn't exactly happy, but it wasn't too sad either.  I'm keeping you in suspense by putting off these sad parts, LOL.  Thanks for all the reviews so far, keep em coming!!!**


	43. Part 42

PART 42

MEANWHILE

"Shane, wait up!" Britney called, jogging to catch up with her cousin.  Shane didn't turn around or stop when she called, continuing to stalk down the hall.  "Shane!" she repeated, catching up to him and grabbing him by the arm.  He stopped and turned around, but not before yanking his arm violently from her grasp, causing Britney's eyes to widen.  

"W-where are you going?" she asked worriedly.  Shane looked as though he were about two seconds away from snapping completely and losing what little self control he had left.  She also knew that… had he been thinking straight… he never would have yanked away from her like that.  

"To the front desk," he replied calmly.  Britney raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you going to the front desk?" she asked.  Shane laughed and gave her a look that said he expected her to know that already.

"Simple.  To find out what room Paul Levesque is staying in so I can go there and kill him," he said matter-of-factly.  Britney looked at him as if he was dressed up as a ballet dancer, in a tutu and everything.

"Shane, have you completely lost your mind?  You can't kill him!" she cried, moving in front of him and planting her feet.  _This stress can't be good for him… or for me._  

Shane laughed ruefully, "Why the hell not?"  Britney shook her head at him… she didn't see this as a laughing matter.  She could see the seriousness in his eyes, so she knew she wasn't joking.  The blonde woman knew there was no way he could handle hearing about his sister's rape… thank God he hadn't heard about Paul attacking Britney as well.  As protective as he was over his sister, he was even more so over his baby cousin.  She didn't know what he would do if he found that out… he was already delusional.

"Because, Shane… murder is against the law… even if the man you're killing _is_ a rapist.  Please Shane, lets just forget about it," Britney pleaded, trying to talk some sense into him.  Judging by the look in his eyes, it didn't appear to be working.

"Forget about it?  What the fuck is wrong with you?  Britney, he _raped_ my sister!" Shane cried harshly, and Britney winced at his words.  "How can I just forget about it, forget about all the pain he must have caused her?  All I want to do right now is take that pain, multiply times a million and unleash it on him!  He's going to get away with it!"

"No, he isn't.  I'm sure Vince will…"

"Dad will fire him and most likely get him arrested.  I'm sorry, but that just isn't good enough for me!  I want to get my hands on that bastard and tear him limb from limb, and then I want to parade his dead body around so I can show the world what happens when you screw with my family!" Shane interrupted.  Britney eyed him with concern.

"I know you do, Shane… so does Jay and Adam.  But as much as it sucks, you can't act on your gut feelings this time.  I know it's painful, but think about Stephanie.  You know she wouldn't want you to do it," she said softly.  Shane turned and slumped down the wall, burying his face in his hands.  Britney kneeled next to him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not fair Brit.  First Brock, and now Paul?  All I ever wanted to do was to protect you guys, and I couldn't even do that!  I just wanted to take care of my family," he said wearily.  Britney could feel her eyes filling with tears, but she blinked them away.  All the times Shane stayed strong for her when he was dying inside… it was her turn to do the same for him.

"You HAVE taken care of us Shane.  Stephanie loves you to death, and I can say for a fact that I would be dead if you weren't there.  You are the one person who's been there for me my whole entire life, from the day I was born.  You've done all you can and more, and trust me… we both love you for it," she said truthfully.  Shane looked up at her, and Britney could tell he was fighting tears.  He rubbed his eyes tiredly and gazed at her intently.  

"Thanks Brit… that really means a lot.  You, uh… you've made me change my mind about the whole "get Paul's room number and kill him" thing.  Maybe it isn't the best idea," he said.  Britney finally smiled, nodding at him.  

"You're right, it probably isn't.  Come on, I'll walk you up to your room," she said, standing and pulling him up with her.  

Laughing softly at her, Shane asked, "Why?  Don't you trust that I'll go right to my room like a good little boy?"  Britney laughed as well, linking their arms together as she replied.

"Absolutely not."

THE NEXT MORNING 

Stephanie opened her eyes, squinting as the sunlight streamed in through the curtains.  She stretched out, yawning slightly as she turned over in what she discovered to be an empty bed.  She sat up, wondering where her boyfriend was.  Just as she was about to all out for him, the bedroom door opened.  Her heart skipped a beat, but she laid back and sighed with relief when she realized that it was indeed Jay who just entered the room.

"Hi," Stephanie greeted, smiling at him.  "Where were you?"  He walked over to the bed, sitting down next to her, leaning in to give her a quick kiss.  

"Hey, I'm gonna go jump in the shower.  I got up early and I didn't want to wake you, so I just went to the gym for a little while, " he replied.  He was having trouble keeping his gaze from traveling over her.  He always did have a thing for that whole first thing in the morning look… especially when the first thing he saw in the morning was Stephanie.  Still, he wasn't sure of how shaky she would still be, especially considering that she recounted the whole story the night before when she'd told Vince and Shane.

"Steph, I'm really proud of you," he said, catching her off guard.  

"What for?" she asked as she leaned into his embrace.

"For telling Vince and Shane.  It took a lot of courage, even with me, Brit, and Adam there.  I don't think I could have done it had I been in your shoes," he explained.  

"Well, it was definitely hard… I don't think I could have done it without you," she replied.  Jay looked at her, resting comfortably in his arms. He was so happy to have her.  Even with all the craziness constantly surrounding them, she kept him sane.  She was perfect, and they were perfect together.  Thinking of Adam and Britney made the Canadian excited about their own future, getting married, and eventually starting a family.  He had always thought that the idea would scare him, but with Steph it just seemed right.

"I love you Steph," he said, lowering his head to hers.  

Much to his surprise, just when he was about to pull away form her she grabbed his face, tentatively pushing her tongue into his mouth.  She shifted her body so that she was resting on top of him.  Their kiss grew more passionate and demanding and without realizing it, Jay's hands began to unconsciously travel over Stephanie's body.  He rolled them over so that he was on top of her, and Stephanie felt him pressing into her.  She broke the kiss, smiling up at him.

"I, uh… I guess this means I'll be joining you in the shower," she said, blushing slightly.  Jay immediately backed off of her, afraid that he might have startled her.

"Oh, Steph… no.  I… I'll get over it, I don't need to… I don't want you to feel like you have to do anything that you don't want to do," he said sincerely.  Stephanie shook her head.

"I _want_ to Jay, really," she swore.  Jay eyed her hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" he asked cautiously.  Sitting up, Stephanie jumped up out of the bed, taking his hand and leading him to the bathroom. 

"I'm positive."

THAT NIGHT 

Britney and Adam were laying in bed, talking about what had happened during the day.  The first thing Vince did was give Brock Lesnar the night off and send him home… that way, he couldn't be around to screw anything up.  Then, they fired Paul Levesque, finalizing everything by having Shane give a phone call to headquarters to post the notice to the fans on WWE.com.  On Raw that night, it had been announced that Triple H had been stripped of the title and fired for, "reasons that are not being disclosed at the moment."  Creative decided that they would have a tournament to decide the new World Heavyweight Champion, and that the winner of that tournament would be Chris Jericho.  They also reported Levesque's attacks on Stephanie and Britney to the police who, after some persuasion from Vince McMahon, formally charged him with rape, assault, and attempted rape.  Paul, however, got a heads up from someone, most likely Brock or Paul Heyman, that the police were looking for him, so he fled and was currently in hiding.  Even though he was on the loose, the people concerned weren't too worried.  They suspected that Paul was a relatively smart guy, and that he wouldn't be stupid enough to show his face around any WWE employees.  All in all, it was a day filled with relief.

Meanwhile, Britney and Adam discussed what they were going to do about the remainder of Britney's pregnancy.  Her things were currently being moved into Adam's house in Tampa, so she was going to live with him.  She was scheduled to be on TV for about five more weeks, with the July pay-per-view vengeance being her last show.  She wouldn't be doing anything physical, just going to the ring for Adam's matches.  After those weeks were up, she would continue to travel with them, just not make any appearances.  They had discussed the idea of her just staying home, as Chris, Jay, and Stephanie all lived in Tampa so it wasn't like she wouldn't be able to see them when came home.  However, Adam and Britney decided that they didn't really like the idea of her being home alone for four to five days a week.  So, she was going to travel with him until the doctors recommended she stop, around six months.  Needless to say, with all that had occurred over the last 24 hours, the couple was pretty content.

"You know, for the life of me, I just can't picture you with a big belly," Adam said, laughing at the sudden image.  

"Say that to me six months from now and I'll be happy," Britney replied, laughing as well.

"Hey, what about names?" he questioned suddenly.  He hoped she wouldn't be too upset when he told her that if they had a boy, the name was already picked.  Britney shook her head, laughing again.

"Adam, I'm only a little over a month pregnant.  My main concern is how much morning sickness I'll have, not what we'll name the baby," she said, grinning playfully at him.

"Oh fine," he pouted.  "But I do have something to say about that.  If we have a boy, we have to name him Jason."

"Let me guess… Mr. Reso had something to do with that decision?" Britney asked knowingly.

"Yeah… it's part of our pact.  So if him and Steph ever have a boy, his name will be Adam, and then…"

"And then there will be Adam Reso and Jason Copeland and they'll be best friends just like their dads and become wrestlers and form a brand new reverse E & C Dynasty?" she finished for him.  He smiled at her statement.

"I wasn't exactly thinking into their WWE careers yet, but yeah… something along the lines of that.  The point is that we want to keep the Adam and Jay streak going, only we don't want kids with the same names as us," he said, looking at her as she shook her head at him.  "We, uh… we've had twenty years to plan this out, so it's a very specific plan."

Britney eyed Adam for a minute before cracking a smile.  "Sure, let Jay name the baby that _I_ will be carrying for nine months after _himself_… seeing as how _he's_ doing so much work for it!" she whined jokingly.

"Shut up," Adam responded playfully, puller her closer to him and kissing her.  

She responded fervently, allowing him to turn them so that he was half on top of her, half resting beside her.  As their kiss grew deeper, he slid his hands to her waist as her arms wrapped around his neck.  Everything was in a blur and before Adam knew it, he was removing their clothes.  Next thing he knew, he was slowly making love to her.  When they were finished, he wrapped his strong her arms around her, holding her tightly against him.  He kissed the top of her forehead as she clung to him.  As good as he felt about what had just happened, Adam suddenly got a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.  He tried to brush it off, but it just wouldn't leave him.  He couldn't explain what it was either… it was just there.  He closed his eyes as Britney snuggled against him, hoping that he was overreacting and that this feeling… whatever it was… would go away. 

**More happiness.  LOL, I had to add the little mystery at the end though.  That's just a foreshadowing of what's to come… you guys know, the sadness.  LOL, so anyways, let me know what you think please!  Thanks everyone!**


	44. Part 43

PART 43

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003

Brock was in his locker room stretching for his match later that night. Things had certainly been different since Paul Levesque was fired.  They weren't quieter, because Heyman was still around to do nearly ALL of the talking and to run his fat mouth, but it just wasn't the same.  Without Paul around, Brock really had no one to talk to.  He was the only person in the company he would consider a friend, and they weren't that close at that.  He almost missed him.  He thought about quitting a couple times since Monday when it was announced that Paul was stripped of the Heavyweight Title and fired, but he decided against it.  He had already waited this long and come this far… there was no way he was turning back now.  He had to continue his mission, with or without Levesque.  Besides, there was no way Brock was leaving the company unless he had Britney with him.  That was the first reason he even asked Vince for a job with WWE in the first place… to get her back.  When he first got there, Brock honestly didn't expect to be there for more than a year.  He basically was there to pick up his belongings and head home, however, the money was too great to leave.  He also didn't expect getting Britney back to be such a time consuming experience.  

That damn Adam Copeland… he ruined everything.  Brock just couldn't get over the fact that Adam had stolen everything that had ever meant anything to him.  He wanted more than anything in the world to get his hands around that blonde pretty boy's neck and squeeze the life out of him, much like the Canadian had done to him awhile back.  As far as Brock was concerned, Adam Copeland was the biggest piece of trash that ever walked the earth, regardless of how many people loved him and how many Edge Heads there were.  The only problem Brock had left was which member of the brand-new McMahon-Copeland family he was going to get rid of.  He had been debating between them, trying to think of what would hurt them, more specifically Adam, the most.  Suddenly, the door to his locker room opened.  Brock looked up, frowning when he saw who it was.

"Shane," he said with disinterest.

"Brock, we need to have a talk," Shane McMahon said, closing the door behind him.  Standing up from the stretching position he was in, Brock raised a brow at him.

"And what if I don't agree?" he challenged, crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.  Shane sent him an un-amused glare.

"I don't give a shit what you want.  You're going to sit down, and you're going to listen to every word I have to say," Shane demanded.  Brock complied, sitting down and listening up.  _Maybe I'll amuse the guy for a little while._

"I'm sure you've heard that Britney is pregnant," Shane started, eyeing the other man intently to try and read his expression.  Brock rolled his eyes emphatically.

"Yeah I heard," he said, trying to hide the disdain growing in his expression and surging through him at the moment.  "What exactly is your point?"

"My _point_, Brock, is that I'm sure you're not happy about that.  However, that doesn't mean you can do anything about it," he replied.  Brock glared at him, _Oh we'll see about that._  He decided that the quickest way to end this conversation would be to play dumb.

"Whatever do you mean Shane?" he asked innocently.  It was Shane's turn to roll his eyes.

"Don't get cute dickhead.  You know _exactly_ what I mean.  You better stay the fuck away from her, and I am NOT kidding.  The stakes are a lot higher now that she's pregnant, both you and I know that.  But if I _ever_ so much as see you in the same ROOM as her, I'll will kill you," he said sternly.  

Brock grinned at him.  _Ooh, I'm trembling with fear._  Shane glared back at Brock, anger clearly present in his brown eyes.  That was always the one thing that bothered Shane the most about Brock… that damn grin.  He wore that cocky, arrogant grin whenever someone was reprimanding him or warning him about something.  He had to be the most disrespectful, pathetic excuse for a human being to ever live.

"Now Shane, you know how I feel about your baby cousin…"

"Yeah, I know _exactly_ how you feel about her," Shane interrupted coldly.  "THAT'S why I'm here talking to you in the first place.  I know how delusional you are, and I know how you react to things that upset you.  I'm just letting you know that everything's changed now Brock… if you hurt Britney, you're hurting her baby as well.  I'm just warning for your own good."  Brock rolled his eyes yet again.

"Well, thank you _so_ much for the wonderful words of wisdom Wonder Boy, but I'm not an idiot.  I'm not quite sure I see your point yet.  In fact, your whole visit so far has been pretty pointless," he said, sending Shane that damn grin again.  Shane finally couldn't take Lesnar's ignorance any longer, so he stood up and marched right over to him, grabbing him by the throat.

"Listen you worthless piece of shit, when I said I'd kill you, I meant it.  When I found out about your pal Paul raping Stephanie, I officially lost it.  All the times you've called me crazy, well… you're finally right.  If you think I'm afraid of going to jail, think again.  If it means I get to get my hands on you and kill you, then jail is the least of my worries," he said, voice practically in a growl. 

With that said, he turned on his heels and stormed to the door.  Brock looked at him in amused disbelief.  Did he just try and threaten him?  Was Shane McMahon trying to intimidate Brock Lesnar?  Brock almost laughed at the thought.  This puny little punk was attempting to scare him.  It was actually pretty funny.  Lesnar glanced up and met eyes with Shane, who turned to look back from the door.  Brock refused to allow himself to be scared by Shane's comments, or by the icy gleam in his eyes.  He was all talk anyway.  _We'll see if you stick to your threats a few days from now._

"Hey Shane," Brock said suddenly, unable to resist the urge to make a crack.  "Tell Britney and Adam I said congratulations."

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER 

"Okay Adam, what are we going to do tomorrow?" Britney asked as she approached Adam in the locker room he and some of the guys were sharing.  Jay grinned mischievously.  He knew that tomorrow was Britney and Adam's one-year anniversary… and it was the perfect time to bust on her.  She was waiting for Adam to answer, so Jay walked up behind her and grabbed her arm.

"We weren't planning on going anywhere?  Why would we want to go anywhere tomorrow?  It's not like there's anything special going on," he said, putting on a curious face.  He started laughing but stopped abruptly when he felt Adam's hand smack the back of his head.  "Ow," he said rubbing the back of his head where he'd been slapped.  "What was that for?"  Adam shook his head, smirking at his best friend.

"Because you're an idiot," he said matter-of-factly, to which Jay actually nodded in acceptance.  Turning to Britney, he continued, "I don't really have a preference what we do.  We could spend the day here and go back to Tampa Saturday with Jay and Chris and Steph or we could could fly home tomorrow and go to dinner.  Either way is fine with me as long as we're together.  Whatever you want to do is fine with me.  You're the boss."  Britney laughed softly when he called her the boss.  Ever since she'd gotten pregnant, Adam had been extra nice to her… ever more so than usual.  While she hadn't really experienced any really bad mood swings yet, he told her he wanted to prepared.  Just as she was about to give him an answer, another voice spoke.  

"Whipped," Chris said in between coughs.  "Aww, isn't that sweet?  _I'll go anywhere you wanna go baby._  You're such a sweetheart Adam, really."  Adam turned and sent him a look.

"That wasn't necessary," he said pointedly, trying to keep a straight face.  Chris got really bitchy when he was away from his wife for more than three days.

Britney nodded, "Yeah Chris, leave him alone… I worked hard to get wrap him around my finger."  Britney and Chris laughed, and then Britney turned back to talk to Adam.  They ultimately decided that they would stay in town the next day, spend the day together and then maybe stop by the house show that they weren't scheduled to appear on.  

"Copeland, a six man match just ended and four of those six competitors are using this locker room and will shortly be stripping naked and heading to the showers… you might want to get your girlfriend out," Chris said suddenly, looking at the TV screen.  Adam looked over at the TV and agreed.

"I'll see you in a little while," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

"But I wanna see them!" she whined suddenly, causing Adam and Chris to do a double take.  "I mean, Jeff's got such a cute little body, and Robbie's got the nicest butt and Shane is just so adorable, and even Drew is…"

"And what the hell am I, Ric Flair?" Adam interrupted, sending her a hurt look.  

"Okay, fine, I'll leave," she resigned, pouting playfully.  She kissed him once more and they parted ways, him getting ready for his upcoming match and Britney heading out.  As she made her way down the hall, Britney heard a voice call out to her.

"Ms. McMahon, wait up!"  She turned to see Jay running over to her.  She grinned as he approached her.  

"Mr. Reso… version two… what have I done to be so lucky as to be graced by your presence?" she asked him, trying to sound very sophisticated, but failing miserably as started to giggle.  Jay laughed as well… when he'd gotten his hair cut, Britney took a line out of Matt Hardy's book and starting calling him Mr. Reso… Version Two.  

"You know I treat my peeps well honey," he replied, flashing her a bright smile.  

"You're too kind.  Now, what do you _really_ want?" Britney asked curiously.  Grabbing her arm, he stopped them and then moved his free hand to her belly.

"I didn't want to hear anything from Chris, but I just wanted to see how little Jason was doing," he said, running his hand over her still pretty much flat stomach.

"Don't get ahead of yourself Jay.  There's no guarantee that the baby will be a boy," she reminded him.  He was set on there being another Jay to take after him.  Britney thought it was absolutely adorable that Jay was taking so much interest in his best friend's baby.  You could see it in his eyes that he was practically as excited as Adam was.  "You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," he replied truthfully.  "I know how much this means to Adam.  I've known him for twenty years, and I know that this is the one thing he's always said could fill the void not having a father left.  I'm happy for him, and I'm so happy for you.  Your life has completely turned around Brit.  I can't wait to see this baby, boy or girl, so I can teach them to take after their Uncle Jay."  Britney rolled her eyes at the thought.  That was just what the world needed… a mini Jay Reso.  Still, he was going to make a wonderful godfather for his future godson or goddaughter.  In fact, he'd probably just make an all around good father.

"Don't ever change Jay," she said, laughing softly as she cupped his face in her hands. 

"Yes ma'am… as long as you don't either.  Hey, wanna go grab something to eat?" he suggested.  He was done for the night and, to be honest, he was a little leery of Britney walking around alone.  Glancing down from her stomach and back up to him, Britney smiled.

"What do you think?" she asked rhetorically.  Jay grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"Let's go."

They walked off together, both of them talking and laughing loudly.  They disappeared around the corner… and neither one of them noticed that Brock Lesnar had been watching them the whole time.

AFTER THEY LEFT 

Brock leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms over his muscular chest.  He had been sitting in the dark, shadowed corner of the hallway, and he saw Britney go into the locker room her boyfriend and her friends were sharing.  She didn't even knock, she just pushed open the door and walked right in.  One of them could have been naked for God's sake.  _What a whore._  Then he watched her come back out a few minutes later, and Jay Reso followed her.  He stood with her, gawking at her stomach like she was carrying _his_ baby.  Brock wondered how Adam would react if he saw his best friend so googily-eyed with his girlfriend.  Suddenly, an awful idea popped into his head.  He grinned widely, as it had to have been the best idea he'd come up with in a long while.  It was brilliant.  _It's perfect… why didn't I think of it before?_  He pushed himself up off the wall and headed out towards the main hallway.  On his way, he saw her.  She was talking to Dawn Marie, resting against an equipment crate.  Brock stopped walking and hid behind an equipment crate, peering out at her.  

She could very well be the girl he needed.  She was the same height as Britney and, with the exception of the size of her chest, had close to the same body type as Britney.  Her hair was even the same platinum blonde.  He smirked as she said goodbye to the brunette and headed into the Women's Locker Room.  Brock slowly headed to the room.  He knew that there was a women's tag match currently going on in the ring, so the chances of any divas being in there with her were slim to none.  He made his way to the door, running his hand over it before doing anything.  He looked around to make sure no one was looking, and he slowly pushed the door open.  He peeked inside and sure enough, she was alone in the locker room, looking in a mirror across the room.  _What a prima donna._  He slowly made his way toward her, silently coming up behind her.  The woman noticed a figure in the mirror, and jumped when she felt a large hand on her shoulder.  Brock smirked as she turned to face him, her eyes widening as she realized who was there.  She already looked scared as hell… but he supposed he had a reputation because of a certain ex-girlfriend's loudmouthed, redheaded friend.  _This is gonna be too easy._

"Torrie, we need to have a talk."

**Uh oh… LOL, told you it wasn't gonna stay happy forever.  What could he possibly want Torrie for??  LOL, you'll find out soon enough!!  Let me know what you think!!**


	45. Part 44

PART 44

WOMEN'S LOCKER ROOM

"W-what do you mean Brock?" Torrie Wilson asked fearfully as Lesnar stood over her.  Brock Lesnar had just snuck up on her in her locker room and said they'd needed to talk.  She couldn't help but feel scared and confused.  The blonde bombshell had been dreading something like this happening to her or any of the divas ever since she'd heard about Brock from Britney and Amy.  She hoped to God that Lesnar wasn't *interested* in her or anything like that, especially after what happened with him and Britney.  They weren't particularly close, but they were friends, and Torrie could see that Britney had gone through hell with him.  Brock smirked at the woman staring up at him with terror from her chair.

"I told you, we need to have a talk… I have to discuss something with you.  Now, we're friends, aren't we Torrie?" he asked, a grin spreading on his face.  Torrie's glance changed from fearful to confused.  The young woman couldn't remember the last time she spoke to Brock, or even made eye contact with him.  She had always been afraid of him… now he was saying that they were friends?  She wasn't sure what was going on, but she didn't want to give him the wrong answer.

"Actually, um, Brock… I don't think we-"

Kneeling down in front of her, he grabbed her wrists, cutting her off.  "Don't answer that," he instructed.  "Look, I came here tonight because I need you to help me out with something.  I need you to do me a favor."

"W-what is it?" Torrie asked nervously.  _God, why did I come in here alone?_  She felt very uneasy, especially with that look Brock was sending her. 

Brock answered, "I need you to…"  He leaned forward, whispering the rest in her ear.  When he was finished, Torrie looked over at him in disgust.  

"No way!  That's horrible!  I don't care who you are, there is no way I am going to do that!" she cried.  What Brock had just asked her to do was downright despicable.  "Adam and Britney are my friends, and if even we aren't extremely close, I still can't do anything to hurt them!  They don't deserve that."  Brock let go of one of her wrists, bringing his hand up and gripping her chin tightly. 

"Ow!  Brock, that hurts!" she exclaimed.  That only made his grip tighter, so she quickly shut up.  

"Good… maybe it'll make you listen better.  I wasn't _asking_ you for the favor, I was TELLING you that you were going to do it.  You WILL do this for me.  Tomorrow is Britney and Adam's one year anniversary, and I can't have them celebrating!  You're going to do what I told you to do," he said, glaring at her.

"I… I just can't Brock, I'm sorry.  There's no way I could hurt them like that… not after they worked so hard to be happy," Torrie explained.  "He loves her and she loves him, and I can't-"  Her words were cut off when Brock slapped her swiftly on the cheek.  Torrie's eyes widened, half in pain, half in shock.  She could feel herself shaking with fear as Brock got right in her face.

"She doesn't love him… she loves me!" he cried delusionally.  "Listen to be you little bitch, you are going to do what I told you to do!  I didn't like slapping you Torrie, but that's what you get for having a big mouth.  Britney got in trouble for her big mouth all the time… pretty girls like you should learn to keep your mouth shut.  Watch your mouth and it won't happen again."  Torrie stared at him incredulously.  _"She doesn't love him… she loves me!"_  Were they thinking of the same Britney?  The Britney McMahon that Torrie knew was most definitely in love with Adam Copeland. 

"With all due respect Brock, if Britney loves _you_, then why is she carrying _Adam's_ baby?" she asked quietly.  She felt her stomach drop as she saw the anger building in his eyes.  She knew she shouldn't have said that.  Damn it, she just HAD to open her mouth.  He pushed away from her, standing up.  He yanked the hairbrush out of her hand and chucked it across the room.  Torrie flinched as it crashed into the lockers and actually broke, he had thrown it that hard.  Leaning back down, he put his hands on either arm of her chair, glaring at her intensely.  The diva looked at him in shock and in horror.  He looked almost possessed.

"That baby deserves to rot in HELL!" Brock screamed suddenly, causing Torrie to jump and squeeze her eyes shut.  How could someone say something like that about a little unborn baby?  "Britney can NOT have Adam Copeland's child… it's just not possible!  There's just no way it could happen.  She was supposed to be the mother of MY kids damn it!  That piece of shit baby should be MINE!"  

He backed off of her, and once she sensed that he had moved Torrie opened her eyes.  She couldn't believe what he just said.  He just called a tiny little unborn baby a piece of shit and said it deserved to rot in hell.  What kind of man says that, even if it is his ex-girlfriend's child?  He had to be truly insane.  Brock suddenly got a good whiff of the fear radiating off of Torrie, and he grinned.  That was like his sixth sense, being able to smell fear on someone.  It was time to go in for the kill.

"You have two options here Torrie.  You can do as I say, and get this all done and over with tonight… or you can say no, and then I will take your Playboy posing ass back to my hotel room and you'll spend the night with me.  I guarantee you, you will not be able to walk the next morning if you choose to stay with me," he threatened.  Torrie eyed him fearfully.  On one hand, she would really hurt Adam and Britney if she went along with Brock.  On the other hand, spending the night with Brock did not sound enjoyable at all.  In fact, it sounded downright horrifying and quite frankly, she wanted to be able to walk tomorrow.  Sighing loudly, Torrie gave in.

"Alright… I guess I've made up my mind."  

LATER THAT NIGHT 

Brock stood with Torrie in the hallway of the hotel, prepping her to do what he'd asked her about earlier.  They stood by a door as he coaxed her to go on and enter the room.

"Now, you remember what it is you have to do right?" Brock checked.  Torrie shifted uncomfortably and rolled her eyes. 

"How could I forget?  You've told me at least ten times on the way over here," she stated plainly.  Brock glared at her, grabbing her arm roughly.  He wanted to make sure she was scared enough to do _exactly_ as he said… he couldn't afford to have any more of his plans be fuck ups. 

"Don't get smart you little bitch.  Just do what you have to do.  Remember, face away from him… don't look at him, don't talk to him.  Now go," he said, handing her the key.  Torrie eyed him skeptically as she took the card from him.  He had took her to the front desk and told the lady there that he had lost his room key, and surprisingly, she gave him a new one, no questions asked.  Then, suddenly getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, a question occurred to her.

"You never told me why, other than the fact that tomorrow is their anniversary," Torrie said, eyeing him questioningly.  Brock shook his head.

"And I don't have to tell you either.  Look, don't worry about what I'm going to do… just get in there and get your job done, and if you do a good job you will _never_ hear from me again.  Quit stalling and get the hell in there," he instructed demandingly.  

Sighing sadly, she opened the door and walked in, breathing shakily.  She could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.  She couldn't believe she was actually going to go through with this.  She had thought about going into the bedroom and waking Adam up and telling him what Brock had told her to do, but Brock himself had confronted her about it.  He said that if she ratted on him he would make every waking moment of her life a living hell, and she could tell by the look in his eyes, and by what he had already done to Britney, that he wasn't lying.  She had no choice.  Torrie swallowed hard and headed towards the bedroom, which was in the back of the suite.  She silently prayed that Brock was wrong about Britney not being there.  He told her that Britney had a meeting with her family and some agents after the show and that she wouldn't be there.  The plan was for Torrie to slip in to bed with Adam so that he would think she was Britney.  Then, when Britney actually returned to the room, she would stumble upon them in bed together.

Torrie stood in the doorway of the bedroom, studying Adam intently in the dark.  She felt the tears well up in her eyes as she watched him sleeping.  He was so peaceful, so unsuspecting of what was going to happen, which would inevitably ruin his anniversary.  It made her feel like total trash.  _You are a total skank Torrie… this is not how you were brought up.  You can't mess with people's lives like this._  Adam didn't deserve this, Britney didn't deserve this, hell… Torrie knew that even _she_ didn't deserve to be forced into doing such a thing.  If she wasn't so damn scared of Lesnar, she would never have even considered such a thing.  She slowly crept into the bedroom, tiptoeing so that she didn't wake Adam.  Tears spilled down her cheeks as she made her way to the bed.  She stood silently at the edge of the bed, watching Adam's chest rise and fall as he breathed.  

"I'm sorry Adam… I'm so sorry," she mouthed silently before sitting down on the bed.  

She lifted the covers and slid under them, turning her back to Adam.  She had to bite her lip to prevent the sob she felt in the back of her throat from escaping when she felt Adam stir and place his hand on her waist.  This was wrong… it was so very wrong.  Torrie squeezed her eyes shut and crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to God that Adam didn't try to kiss her or anything like that.  Luckily, he didn't seem to even wake up when she'd laid down, and his moving of his hand to her hip appeared to be an unconscious maneuver.  She knew that the scene would be awful when Britney returned… the shit was certainly going to hit the fan.  Adam and Britney were going to hate their guts… and who would be able to blame them?  Especially poor Britney… Torrie was beginning to loathe herself for going along with this nonsense.  What would Britney think when she returned from a long, probably boring meeting to see her boyfriend, the father of her child, in bed with another woman?  Not just another woman, but a woman whom she considered to be a friend.  It was going to crush her, no doubt about it.  Suddenly, Torrie thought of Brock, and of the threats he had been making to her all night.  _I have to do it, I have to do it.  I have no choice._  Knowing that she really had no other options still didn't make her feel any better.  Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she closed her eyes again and waited for Britney to return.

ABOUT A ½ HOUR LATER 

Britney yawned as she slid her keycard into the door and pushed it open.  She couldn't wait to get in bed and just go to sleep… she was exhausted.  Her day had been grueling to say the least.  She was up at eight in the morning so that she and Adam could drive to the next city, because Adam's rule was, _if it's less than 500 miles, you're going in the car._  Shane had been absolutely hounded with work that day, so during the afternoon she ran all over the arena helping and delivering messages for him.  She'd gone out with Adam for his match with Chris Benoit against Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin.  After that, there was a meeting with her family, Jim Ross, Eric Bischoff, and some of the executives.  They basically wanted to discuss some type of job for Britney to have while she was still on the road but no longer on TV.  Then after _that_, Shane had driven her and Stephanie back to the hotel and the three of them had gone up to Shane's room to talk.  It was the first time in a while that they'd spent a good hour just talking.  It was a really nice experience, but still, after such a long day Britney was exhausted.  She couldn't wait to just get in bed and go to sleep.  She was already wearing sweatpants, so she decided she wasn't even going to get changed.  She walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  She washed her face and brushed her teeth and then headed into the bedroom.  Walking through the door, she caught a glimpse of something, and she gasped.

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Adam was sleeping very peacefully, in the middle of a nice dream when a voice pierced into his brain and woke him up and caused him to jump.

"What the fuck is this?!" he heard Britney's voice scream.  He jumped up and saw her across the room, glaring at him with her jaw wide open in shock.  Adam was confused to say the least.  If Britney was standing across from him, then… who the hell was laying next to him in the bed?  _Oh God._  He stood up and turned the light on, turning to see a very frightened looking Torrie Wilson.

"Torrie?" both Adam and Britney said simultaneously.  Britney looked over at Adam in shock.  Torrie was laying in bed with him, so why did he act so surprised to see her?  The young woman felt the tears stinging at her eyes as she watched him standing there, looking dumbfounded.  He sent her an innocent, unbelieving look.

"Britney, this ISN'T what it looks like, I swear," Adam said, knowing it had to look pretty bad.  He didn't know what Torrie was doing in there, but she sure as hell didn't come in the room with him.  And they sure as hell didn't do anything.  He knew that he went straight to bed when he got to the room.  She had to have snuck in… but _why?  Britney blinked a few times, allowing the tears to spill over and down her cheeks.  She just couldn't believe what she was seeing.  She came back from a long and very tiring day to find her boyfriend of a year, the father of her child, in bed with a woman she once considered a good friend.  _

"Well than what the fuck is it?" Britney curried, glaring at the two of them with devastation.  "No, don't answer that.  I don't want to hear it."

"But…"

"SHUT UP!  Torrie, how could you do this?  I thought we were friends… how could you do something like this?  And _you," she said, focusing her angry eyes on Adam, "I don't believe you.  What am I not good enough for you?  Do we not have sex enough to satisfy you?!  God, Adam… what the fuck is wrong with you?  On our anniversary and everything!"  Adam looked at his feet in shame.  He knew he didn't do anything, but he still felt like a complete ass._

"Brit, I don't know what she's doing here, I swear," he said.

"Save it Adam.  You know, I really thought that out of everyone in the world you would be the last one to hurt me.  I guess I was just terribly wrong… happy anniversary," she said, turning and leaving the room.  Adam felt like he had just been punched in the gut.  _"I really thought that out of everyone in the world you would be the last one to hurt me. I guess I was just terribly wrong."  _The words sunk painfully into Adam's brain.  He had done it again… he had hurt her without even trying to do so.  He watched her storm out of the room, tears streaming down her cheeks.  The Canadian looked down at Torrie, and he noticed that she was crying as well.

"Don't move," Adam instructed her.  

He ran out of the room, hoping to catch up with her so that he could bring her back and they could sort this whole thing out.  Something in Torrie's eyes told him that there was a reason for this.  In the room, Torrie curled up into a ball on the bed and waited for Adam to return.  She felt like slime.  The tears continued to flow freely as she thought about the man that had put her up to this.  She couldn't help but worry as she suddenly realized what had just happened… the first part of Brock's plan had worked.

**Well, now you know what Brock wanted Torrie for.  But now the question is what's going to happen next??  LOL, hope you guys liked this part.  Just a little side note, I'll probably have one more update tomorrow, but then this story is going on a short hiatus.  I'm going away for the week so the story won't be updated.  But while I'm gone I'm going to try to finish it and maybe even start a new one.  Thanks for the reviews guys, make sure you let me know what you think!!!!         **


	46. Part 45

PART 45

****

MEANWHILE

Torrie was still sitting on the bed, thinking about what she had done.  She recalled the look on Britney's face when she'd walked into the room.  She looked crushed… absolutely devastated.  _God, I am such a bitch… why did I do this?  There had to be another way out._  Suddenly, the hotel room door opened and Adam walked back in, but he wasn't alone.  He had Amy with him.  He had run into her in the hallway and explained what happened.  She advised him to stop searching for Britney for the time being, and now both of them were standing there, staring at her as if she stabbed them in the back.  _Well, I guess I *did* stab them in the back… whether I meant to or not._  

"Adam, I…" Torrie started, but the blonde man put up a hand to stop her.  He couldn't hide the anger from his eyes as he looked at her.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" he started, and she lowered her head in shame.  "If this is your idea of some kind of joke, I'm not laughing.  You put me in hot water Torrie, and I want to know why.  Britney is my girlfriend… my _pregnant_ girlfriend.  What did you think you would accomplish by hopping in bed with me?  Why did you do it?  D-did I do something to you?  Did Britney?  I need to know what's going on here, because I could very well lose the most important person in my life because of this."  

Torrie felt like scum sitting there in the bed, the bed that Adam and Britney should have been peacefully sleeping in at the moment.  He looked as though he was fighting back tears… looking at him made her feel ever lower.  The blonde woman looked at him sadly, not knowing what to say.  She knew what she did was very wrong, but she really had no choice.  She shifted her glance from Adam to Amy.  The redhead had fire in her eyes… she looked like she was ready to kill her.  Torrie suspected that if Adam wasn't in the room, Amy probably would have lunged at her.

"Well?" she said expectantly, placing her hands on her hips.

"I… I can explain.  I'm so sorry Adam, but you don't understand," Torrie explained, hoping that they would give her a chance to speak.  Adam certainly didn't look too thrilled with her response.

"Get talking then… make me understand.  You are going to explain your reasons for doing this to me, and then we're going to find Britney and you're going to straighten this all out.  I'm really surprised at you Torrie… words cannot describe how shocked I am that you would do this.  I honestly didn't think that _you_ of all people would sink so low," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.  Even though she knew what she did was wrong, it still hurt to hear him say that because she knew she had no other choice.

"You really don't understand.  He… he made me do it," she said, causing Adam to do a double take.

"What?  Who?  Who made you do it?" he asked curiously.  _So I can rip the bastard's head off._

"Yeah," Amy said, sitting down on the bed and eyeing Torrie skeptically.  She still wasn't sure she believed her.  "Who made you do this?"  Torrie felt fresh tears filling her eyes.

"B-Brock Lesnar."  Amy's heart sunk and Adam's stomach dropped.  There was no way Torrie would lie about that, and that was definitely something that Brock would put her up to.  And if Brock had indeed put Torrie up to this, then they had to find Britney and straighten out the whole mess quick.

"What?" Adam asked, encouraging her to continue.

"Brock Lesnar… he told me to do it.  At first I refused, cause I really didn't want to hurt you guys.  But he told me I had no choice.  I swear I didn't want to do it Adam, but I was scared.  I know what he did to Britney and I didn't want that to happen to me," she explained.  

Amy frowned, "Why didn't you just tell Adam what happened when you got in the room?  With all that Brock has pulled in the past, I'm sure he would have believed you."

Torrie sighed, "I was going to, I really was, but Brock warned me about it.  He said if he found out that I told you he would make everyday of my life miserable.  Like I said, I've seen what he's done to Britney, and I just got scared.  I'm so sorry Adam."

"That bastard…I'm going to talk to her now," he said, a determined tone in his voice.  Just as he turned to walk away, Amy jumped up after him.  

"No," she said.  "You know she won't want to listen to you tonight.  And you know she goes to Chris's room every time you guys fight… just let her stay there and go to see her in the morning.  I'd go with you, but Matt and I have an early flight since we're off too."

Amy left, but not until Adam agreed and promised not to leave until first thing in the morning.  Then, Adam walked Amy up to her room.  He didn't know where Brock was or what he was up to, but if anything happened to the redhead he would feel extremely guilty.  Before he left, he made sure Torrie locked the chain on the door, just in case Brock decided that he wasn't satisfied with her work and came looking for her.  When he came back, he told the blonde woman to stay with him overnight.  He knew she was rooming alone, and he didn't like the idea of her being by herself at all.  Regardless of what happened, he knew she was forced into it and he still considered her a friend.  Then, he told her to try and go to bed and that he would sleep on the couch.

"Oh, no.  Adam, I don't think I really deserve that right now," she refused, shaking her head.

"Bullshit," he said.  "I know you Torrie, and I knew deep down that you would never do something like this to us.  I… I guess I knew that all along.  I'm sorry he pulled you into this.  He's probably pissed off that it's our anniversary so he tried to ruin it.  This isn't your fault," he said somberly.  Torrie eyed him intently, a little hint of disbelief in her eyes.  After all that had just happened… she could have ruined his relationship… he was still being nice to her.  He had to be a saint.

"Are you sure?" she asked uneasily.  He tried to offer her a small smile, but he failed.  

"Yeah, I'm sure.  I probably won't sleep much anyway, so the bed won't do me any good," he assured her.  

Torrie agreed and about fifteen minutes later, she was in bed and Adam was laying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling restlessly.  That feeling, the one he had gotten a couple nights ago, was coming back.  It was a horrible uneasy feeling that almost made him sick.  He closed his eyes, silently praying for morning to come so he could get to Britney and make everything go back to normal.  For some reason though, he didn't think it was going to be that easy.

THE NEXT MORNING 

Adam banged on Chris's door at about 7 the next morning.  Torrie, like Amy, had also had a very early flight home, so Adam took her to her room and got her things and then got her cab and sent her off.  Now that he knew she was safe on the road, he went up to Chris's room to get Britney.  He banged again, louder this time.  Finally, the door opened and the blonde man looked up to see an extremely tired looking Chris.  Adam immediately thought of Britney and how upset she looked the night before.  Chris must have been up all night calming her down.

"Please don't tell me you're tired because you were up all night," Adam said hopefully.  Moving back so he could enter the room, Chris looked at Adam funny.

"No… I'm tired because you're banging on my door and it's seven in the morning… I wasn't exactly awake," he replied.  Adam didn't know what to make of his statement.  Chris's remark was definitely sarcastic, but it wasn't anywhere outside his normal realm of sarcasm.  Adam figured if Britney had told him what had happened the night before, Chris would be flipping out on him right now.  

"Well?" Chris said, looking as though he were about to pass out from exhaustion.  "What do you want?"  Adam sighed, running a hand through his hair.  

"Don't play dumb Chris, I'm not in the mood.  Please, just let me see her… I know she's here," he said.  Chris looked at him like he was crazy.

"Adam, I have no idea what you're talking about.  And if you're talking about Britney, I haven't seen her since the show last night," Chris swore.  

"But I thought she came here last night after…"

"After what?" Chris interrupted.  "What happened man?  Did you guys fight?"  Adam took a deep breath, sitting down across from his fellow Canadian on the couch.  He sighed loudly, explaining what had happened the previous night.  He told him about Torrie sneaking into bed with him and how Brock threatened her.  He told him that Britney came back from Shane's and flipped, but she didn't give either one of them a chance to explain.  When he was done, Chris shook his head in amazement.

"Damn… he's a persistent little bastard, I'll give him that," he commented dryly.  Adam suddenly sent him a funny look… that feeling was coming back again.

"I-I don't like this man.  I could have sworn she would go to you.  What if she's with him?" Adam asked suddenly.  Chris couldn't help but get a little nervous at the thought.  Maybe she *was* with Brock.  Still, he tried to remain calm for Adam's sake, as the tall man across from him looked like he was about two seconds away from passing out.

"N-no… she can't be.  She wouldn't just… she's probably with someone else.   Yeah, that's it… she stayed with someone else.  She was probably disoriented, and maybe I just wasn't the first person she thought of to go to," he said, though he didn't sound very sure of himself.  Then he got an idea, and suggested to Adam that they call the people Britney was most likely to stay with: Stephanie and Jay, Jeff, and Rob.  The two of them got their cell phones out and began making calls.

"Oh God," Adam said a few moments later, color draining from his face.  They had talked to Stephanie, Rob, and Jeff, and not one of them had seen Britney since the night before.

"Alright, don't worry, there's a lot of people she could have ran into that she would trust enough for one night.  Come on, I'll call the whole damn company if I have to," Chris said, deciding that he was going to have to be the strong one.  Adam agreed, and they began making more phone calls.

"This is useless," Adam said, turning his phone off and throwing it onto the table nearby.  In the last ten or so minutes, they had called Mark, Stacy, Trish, Terry, Chris Benoit, Lisa and Terri, Kurt, Dwayne, and Rey, and they all had given the same response… no one had seen her.  Chris looked over at Adam… he knew he had to do something fast, otherwise Adam would snap.

"Okay, don't panic.  There's got to be someone we haven't thought of yet who… Shane!  Call Shane, maybe she's with him!" Chris suggested, light bulb suddenly going off in his head.  Adam nodded, and he grabbed his phone and flipped it open and called.

"Hello?" a tired sounding voice called.

"Shane, it's Adam.  Have you seen Britney?" he asked hopefully.

"What?  No, I haven't," Shane replied.  _Why the hell is he asking me?_  The dark haired man suddenly panicked.  "Why?"  Adam sighed and explained the story yet again, giving Shane every detail.  This was one of those stories where you just couldn't leave anything out.  When he finished, the Canadian waited for him to comment.  

"Okay, don't panic just yet.  Give me a minute and I'll call you right back," Shane said, hanging up the phone.  Adam ended the call as well and placed his phone back on the table in front of him.  Chris looked at him expectantly.

"He said he'd call right back," Adam explained, and Chris nodded.  Adam had to fight to regulate his breathing.  He couldn't control the panic coursing through his body.  For all he knew, Britney could be miles away from him by now, trapped somewhere with that monster.  All he did know was that something was terribly wrong.  When his phone rang again, Adam jumped, grabbing it before it could even ring a second time.

"Yeah?" he said, nearly shaking with anticipation and worry. 

"You're in Chris's room right?" Shane asked.  Adam raised an eyebrow… he wasn't expecting to be asked that.

"Y-yeah, why?" he said curiously.

"Don't move… I'll be right there.  Tell Chris to call my dad, explain what happened and tell him that he's off the show tonight," Shane said, and Adam could tell he was rustling around his room getting ready to leave.

"Shane, what's going on?  What happened a few minutes ago?" he asked.  There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the line, and Adam prepared himself for the worst.

"I, uh… I just talked to someone at the front desk.  They weren't working there last night, but they checked the computer.  Brock checked out of the hotel last night… and the doorman saw him carry out a blonde woman… a 'sleeping' blonde woman."

**One more update before I leave!  I thought this one would be a little shorter, but it actually turned out to be almost the same as the other chapters.  LOL, sorry to put the story on hiatus with such a cliffhanger… but maybe that will leave you wondering during the week.  LOL, let me know if you liked it!**


	47. Part 46

PART 46

ON THE ROAD

Brock grinned as he drove down the highway.  He scanned the radio stations before settling on a song and humming along to it.  He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy.  That was probably because this was the first time in a long while that one of his plans actually worked.  The young man figured that that was because it was his first plan in awhile that didn't directly involve Paul Levesque or Paul Heyman.  As he looked at the unconscious body resting in the passenger seat, he grinned again.

"Britney, Britney, Britney… I know you too damn well," he said, thinking of the previous night.  

When he sent Torrie into the room last night he waited nearby, and just as he expected, Britney arrived about a half hour later.  She was only in the room for about five minutes before she stormed out, tears streaming down her cheeks.  When he saw her coming, he ducked into a corner, watching her from it.  He watched as she headed his way, obviously heading to Chris's room, which was literally right behind him.  He looked behind him, smiling maliciously when he saw a large ceramic flower pot sitting by the door.  Leaning down, he picked it up, holding the rust colored pot in his hands.  He stared at it in awe for a moment, and then he heard her voice.

"Oh my…"

He cut her off before she could say anything else, bringing the pot down onto Britney's head as hard as he could.  Brock was surprised that it didn't break.  She immediately dropped to the floor, landing in a pile at his feet.  Brock looked around to see that no one was coming and when he was sure the coast was clear, he leaned down and picked her up, lifting her effortlessly into his arms.  He stood up against the wall for a minute, admiring her wonderingly.  He hadn't had her in his arms for the longest time… it wasn't a bad feeling at all.  Suddenly, Brock heard footsteps, and he knew it was Adam, rushing out of the room to catch up with Britney.  He ran like lightning to the nearby elevator, getting inside and closing the door just as the Canadian ran by.  He let out a huge sigh, thanking God that he hadn't caught him.

Back in the car, Brock smiled at his success.  He knew that the fun was far from over, and he couldn't wait.  As he pulled into some traffic, Brock slowed the car to a stop.  He shifted in his seat, turning to look at the beautiful girl next to him.  He brought his right hand to her cheek, stroking it softly with his index finger.  He suddenly remembered that he had a few phone calls to make.  Taking out his cell, he searched for a number and pressed send.  The first person he had to call was Paul Heyman.  When Heyman answered, Brock spoke.

"Hi Paul… we're on our way.  Make sure when Adam gets to the arena you deliver my message," he reminded him.

"Okay, but Brock… what if Adam doesn't come to the arena?" Paul replied, suddenly thinking of the possible situation.  "I mean, what if he's already on the road looking for you."  Brock grinned.  Luckily for him, he had thought of that the night before, and he had a plan to ensure that Adam would have to go to the arena that day.

"Oh, he'll show up alright.  I made sure that would happen… I stole Vince's cell phone yesterday," Brock said proudly, grinning cockily as the traffic began to let up.  From his own car, Paul raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell does that have to do with Adam going to the arena?" he asked, a little confused.

"Let me explain.  See, every time something bad happens between Britney and Adam, she runs crying to Chris.  So I'm almost positive that Adam would go to Chris's hotel room first thing in the morning to get her.  When he gets there and finds that she's not there, they know that this was all my doing.  You know Adam's going to come after me, and you know Chris will insist on going with him.  Well, Chris is scheduled to work the house show, so he'll have to call Vince to tell him he can't make it, and when he calls, Vince won't have a phone to answer!  Therefore, the two pretty boys will have to go to the arena to tell him personally, since they're such good workers and all," Brock said quickly.  Heyman's lips curled into an evil smile.

"You're a genius Brock… an absolute genius."  After saying that, Paul hung up, and Brock ended the call as well.  He went to Levesque's number and pressed send, putting his ear to the receiver.

"Hey Brock," Paul answered.  "You on your way?"  Brock grinned yet again.

"Yup… all systems go.  Leave the key for me," he said before hanging up and ending the short call.  Turning back to Britney, he eyed the blonde woman intensely.  His eyes wandered over her unconscious body, drinking in her beautiful features.

"Britney, we are going to have a _lot_ of fun today."

AT THE ARENA 

Chris, Adam, and Shane rushed through the arena in a frantic search for Vince McMahon.  They knew they needed to get out of the arena and off after Britney and Brock quick, but they couldn't tell just anyone where they were going… they had to tell Vince.  They searched for minutes that seemed to be hours, looking in every room in the building for the Chairman.  Finally, they ran into Fit Finlay, the Divas in ring trainer, who had just come from Vince's office.  He told the men where it was located and they were off, racing to the door like madmen.  They burst through the door, startling Vince, who was sitting at his desk looking over the script for the show.  He jumped, nearly throwing his papers in the process.

"What the hell is the problem guys?  You scared the hell out of me," he said in surprise.  He eyed his son and the other two men with concern.  They looked like they had just run a 20 mile marathon, gasping for breath.

"We… we had to… talk to you," Shane said, gulping in air between his words.  Vince continued to eye the men with great concern.  They really looked like something horrible had happened. 

"Okay… calm down son.  What do you need to talk to me about guys?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  Adam was the first one of the three men to speak.

"I… last night… well, Britney is… she's…" Adam muttered, though he wasn't really making good sense.  Chris noted that he wasn't getting them anywhere and picked up for him.

"Okay, I'm going to run this story by you really fast, cause we don't have time.  Just listen and  believe me… this is the truth.  Last night, Brock forced Torrie to sneak into Adam and Britney's room so that when Britney got back from her meeting with you she would see them in bed together.  Well, it worked, and Britney went for my room, but Brock was waiting for her and he kidnapped her.  We tried to call you to tell you that I wasn't going to be able to compete tonight, but your phone was disconnected, so we had to drive all the way here and run around like animals to try and find you," he said in a huff.  Vince looked at him in disbelief.  His brain was just beginning to register what Chris just told him and he couldn't believe it.  Britney was kidnapped?  _Holy shit… what are we going to do?_  Vince looked at the three men frantically.

"Um… I… go.  I have to stay here, but go and find them.  Don't worry about the show Chris, just get the hell out of here.  I'll find another phone and call you from there," he said suddenly.  He wanted nothing more than to go with them so he could kill Brock himself, but he knew people would be too suspicious if both Vince and Shane were absent from a show.  He knew his son would take care of everything… he just hoped Adam wouldn't lose it.

"Alright… thanks Dad," Shane said, ushering Adam and Chris out of the room.  The three of them were about to be off, when they heard an all too familiar, all too annoying voice.

"Well, well, well… look at what we've got here," Paul Heyman said, smirking at the men as he approached them.  Adam's heart dropped as the large man stopped in front of them.  Chris and Shane, on the other hand, looked at him with murderous glances.

"What the fuck do you want assclown?" Chris asked, glaring at Heyman dangerously.  Shane sent him a similar glance.

"I was just told by my good friend Brock Lesnar to deliver this message," he said snidely, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pant pocket.  Shane went to snatch the letter from his hand, but Paul pulled it away from him.  He gave him a reprimanding look.

"Shane," Heyman said, "didn't your father teach you any manners?  Didn't he tell you it's not polite to grab things out of people's hands?  Oh wait… your father is _Vincent Kennedy McMahon_.  I guess those rules don't apply to you.  If you would kindly back off, I will give this letter to Adam, the person Brock _intended_ to give it to," he said mockingly.  

Adam's ears perked up when he heard his name, looking at Paul almost helplessly.  Shane and Chris were glaring at Heyman like they were about to kill him, but the Canadian himself didn't feel a thing.  He just didn't have any fight left in him… he felt completely numb.  All he could think of was how he let Britney get away from him long enough for Brock to kidnap her, and now that maniac was off God knows where with her, doing things Adam couldn't bring himself to think about.  Any other day, he would have hauled off and nailed Heyman just for the hell of it, but today he couldn't even bring himself to look at him.  As of right now, his life was officially nothing… until he found Britney and was assured that she was okay.  Running a hand through his hair tiredly, Adam put his hand out, accepting the letter.

"Now that you've 'delivered your message' for Brock, I'm sure you have other things to do.  Get the hell away from us," Chris said, scoffing at the former ECW owner.  Paul raised an eyebrow at him, but nodded in agreement.

"As you wish, almighty King of the World," he said mockingly, before turning and leaving the men in front of the door.  Shane shook his head.

"Asshole," he muttered.  Both Shane and Chris peered over at the letter as Adam opened it, but he shooed them away, walking a few steps ahead.  He wanted to read the letter himself first.  Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the letter, hoping for the best.  He tried his best to fight the tears pressing at his eyes while he read.

_Adam,_

_    Well, well, well… things have certainly taken a turn for the worse.  For you, anyway.  Me, on the other hand, well, things just couldn't be better.  You could probably guess that Britney is with me right now.  Don't worry Adam, she's just fine.  I don't plan on doing anything drastic to her just yet.  But I'm warning you, something's going to happen.  I didn't want to have to hurt her, but it seems you've left me no choice.  I've told you time and time again that she belongs to me, and you didn't listen.  I'm disappointed in you Adam.  I think I've been more than fair.  I've given you opportunity after opportunity to end your relationship with her, but you never did.  You had that chance to save her, but you blew it.  It's your fault that I have to do this to her Adam.  I hate you like I've never hated anyone before in my life… and you're going to pay, even if it means hurting someone that *I* love to do so.  Anyway, I'm not going to play guessing games with you, and I'm not going to make you comb the country to find me.  At the bottom of this letter is the address I'll be at.  I know what you're thinking… he's either lying or crazy.  Well to tell you the truth, I'm neither.  I'm not crazy for giving you my location because I know you'll never get there in time.  Hell, I could be there already right now.  I want you to find us, because I want you to see what I do to your precious little girlfriend, and I want you to know that you could have saved her, but you were too late.  I'm not going to take up too much more of your time, because I'm sure you'll want to be on the road now.  I'll see you soon buddy.  It's a shame you won't get that family you always wanted.  Oh, and I hope you enjoyed the past year you had with her… because you won't get any more._

_Brock_

**I'm back!!!!! Alright, this chapter's a little shorter than usual, but it'll do for now.  Hope you guys like it… let me know what you all think!**


	48. Part 47

PART 47

MEANWHILE

Britney groaned quietly, slowly opening her eyes.  She squinted as the light flooded her eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the sudden brightness.  Her head was pounding… it felt like she had a monster hangover.  She placed her head on her forehead, trying to massage the pain away through her temples.

"Ohh man," she said painfully.  She suddenly realized that she had no clue where she was, and no clue what she was doing there.  _Where the hell am I?_  She looked around the unfamiliar room with great confusion… all she could make out was that she was in a bedroom.  She thought long and hard, trying to remember what she was doing in this unfamiliar place.  She couldn't remember anything about the night before.  Suddenly, she recalled seeing Adam and Torrie together in their bed.  She remembered that she was running to Chris's room… and then everything went black.  The room she was in looked nothing like a hotel room… it looked like a room in someone's house.  _Oh my God… where am I?_

"Hey sunshine… glad to see you're finally awake."

The voice coming from the doorway cut right into Britney's brain.  The color drained from her face as she realized who's voice it was.  It was Brock's.  Suddenly, everything that had happened last night made total sense.  When Adam told her he had no idea why Torrie Wilson was in their room, he was telling the truth.  He was set up.  Brock must have done something to Torrie to make her do that for him.  And now she was stuck in some place with him… alone.  _Oh my God… what am I going to do?_

"B-Brock… where are we?" Britney asked, feeling herself beginning to tremble, most likely out of fear.  Brock walked over to her, smiling as he sat down on the edge of the bed.  He reached out and placed a hand on her knee, and she jumped.

"Calm down baby… we're just at a friend's house.  He gave me the key so that you and I could be alone for awhile," he said soothingly.  Britney looked at him in disbelief.  He was talking to her as though she was his girlfriend, like they went off with each other on a daily basis.

"Brock… I-I don't," she started and stopped, trying to put some strength in her words.  She took a deep breath, forcing herself to steady her voice.  "I don't think I want to spend any time alone with you.  I don't want to be anywhere near you."

"Aww, now you don't mean that Britney.  You're just mad that I knocked you out to get you here.  But I had to do it, it was the only way I could get you away from Adam," he explained.  Britney looked at him in disgust.  Fuck being scared… after what he did last night, she was pissed.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" she cried suddenly, causing Brock to look at her in surprise.  "You _forced_ Torrie Wilson, who happens to be a friend of mine, to go into my room and jump in bed with _my_ boyfriend so that I would think he was fucking around on me!  What the hell did you think was going to happen?!  I hate you Brock… I really fucking hate you.  You need to accept the fact that I love Adam… nothing you do is going to change that."  Brock looked at her skeptically.

"Of course I know that," he said.  "Do you think I'm stupid?  If I thought I had a shot with you I wouldn't have kidnapped you.  You know what Britney?  I hate you too… I hate you because you won't suck it up and get back with me… where you BELONG.  And you know who I hate even more than I hate you… that God damn baby," he said angrily, poking Britney in the stomach.  All the fear that had left her came rushing back.  She had never even thought of the baby.  She had hardly seen Brock since she had gotten pregnant, so the thought that he might want to do anything to her hadn't crossed her mind.  Britney looked around the room… she needed to get out of there fast.  She had to protect her baby.

"Please Brock, don't do anything stupid.  You can't hurt my baby," she said, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes.  He scoffed at her, standing up and starting to walk away.  "W-where are you going?" she asked.

"None of your damn business.  I'll be right back honey, don't you worry," he said.  "Oh, and Brit?" he stopped, looking over his shoulder at her.  "Don't even think about trying to get out.  I *will* find you."  Britney swallowed hard, feeling the tears coming to her eyes and brushing them away.  She couldn't let him see that she was scared… he fed off of fear.  Only a few moments after he was gone, he returned… with a long rope in his hand.  

"W-what are you going to do with that?" she asked, unable to hide the fear dripping from her voice.  Brock looked at Britney and then the rope sinisterly.  He slowly walked over to her, stopping at the bed.  He sat down next to her, taking her shaking wrist into his large hand.  Taking her hand and holding it up by the bedpost, he began to wrap the rope around her wrist.

"I'm tying you here, what does it look like I'm doing?  Calm down Brit, I'm just doing this to make sure that you don't try to leave me.  You'll never leave me, ever again," he said.  As he secured her wrists tightly to the bedposts above her head, Britney looked at him in shock.  He was so delusional.  When he was done, he slid her body over a bit, laying down next to her.  Propping himself up on an elbow, he looked at her admiringly.

"You're so beautiful baby," he said, running his index finger down her cheek.  "I don't think I can hold myself back much longer," he continued, leaning his head down and inhaling the scent of her shampoo.  Britney shut her eyes, praying for someone to come, anyone who could get this man as far away from her as possible. 

"H-hold yourself back from what?" she asked, though she didn't really want to know the answer.  She was just hoping it would make him put it off for a little while.  He lifted his head, staring into her eyes.  She shuddered as he stared at her intensely.

"You," he said, before lowering his head and kissing her.  

She immediately shut her mouth, trying as hard as she could to reject his tongue, which he was currently trying to pry her lips open with.  She swung her arm to punch him, forgetting that her arms were tied down.  Finally she opened her mouth and did what she did when he'd kissed her on Smackdown all those weeks back… she bit his lip as hard as she could.  He howled at her, backing off and touching his lip.  Sure enough, she'd once again drawn blood.  Britney looked up at him and saw fire in his eyes.  He balled his hand into a fist, and she squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for him to hit her.  Well, Brock hit her alright, but not in the face.  Instead of his fist connecting with her cheek, it connected with another place, a worse place… her stomach.  She couldn't contain the cry of pain that escaped her lips and the tears sprang to her eyes.  Grabbing her face in his hand, he leaned down again.

"If you want that baby to live long enough to see the light of day, don't fucking touch me again," Brock said, sending her an icy glare.  "Now, you're going to lay back and be a good girl.  As long as you're a good girl that baby of yours will be just fine.  You're going to be a good girl for me, right?" he said, talking to her like she was a baby.  Britney only looked at him, completely frozen in fear after what he'd just done.  She didn't want to say anything in fear of it being the _wrong_ thing.

"Answer me!" Brock demanded, shaking her slightly.

"Y-yes Brock," she said helplessly.  He patted her on the head and laid her back down, kissing her again.  

Before she knew it, he was unbuttoning her shirt.  She wanted so badly to protest because she wanted him to stop, but she had to think of her baby.  She closed her eyes, trying as best as she could to tune him out as he moved his lips down her body.  Next thing she knew, he was pulling her jeans off, moving his hands to the button on his as well.  Britney, whose eyes had been shut, opened them when she sensed him sitting up.  She quickly squeezed them shut again as she saw him pulling his pants off, two tears dropping down her cheeks.  As he pried her legs open and slowly entered her, she wanted to die.  The blonde woman couldn't think of any other place in the world that could be worse than this.

"God Brit," Brock groaned as he pumped into her.  Britney felt like she was going to throw up.  It didn't even hurt, it was just that she didn't want anyone touching her but Adam.  It was absolutely awful.  She zoned out, allowing him to have his way with her.  When he was done, he slid off of her, resting next to her and stroking her hair.

"You're beautiful," he said, wiping the damp sweat off his forehead.  As he looked at her expression, he frowned.  "Oh come on," he said.  "Don't look at me like that.  You liked it too… didn't you?"  When she didn't answer, he started to get mad.  "Didn't you?!"

"W-well… not… not really," she stammered.  He looked at her with a gaze that was a mix of hurt and rage.

"What the fuck do you mean 'not really'?!  You can't honestly tell me that you didn't enjoy it!  What the fuck is wrong with you?  Do know how many women would KILL to be in your position right now?!  You should be kissing my fucking feet for even looking twice at you!" he screamed.  Britney winced… that was the one thing she always hated about Brock, even before their relationship got really bad.  He thought of himself as God's gift to women, and that all these girls were just flocking to him when in reality, they wanted nothing to do with him.

"Oh God… Adam, where are you?" Britney said quietly, praying her boyfriend would show up soon.  She felt so completely violated at the moment, that nothing in the world could make her feel better but seeing him.  She knew that once she saw him everything would be okay.  He would hold her and take her home and make her forget everything that had just happened.  _I just hope he comes and does that soon._  Britney didn't realize that Brock had heard her call Adam, and when their eyes met, he had fire in his.

"Did you just ask for Adam?" he asked.  His voice was so calm that it was scary.

"I… I…"

"Shut up!" he said, slapping her suddenly across the face.  "After all I just did for you, you're _still_ thinking about him?  What the fuck does he have that I don't have?"  Britney eyed him with total fear, but she managed to get out a statement.

"H-he… he has everything you don't.  He's smart, he's sweet, and he *really* loves me.  All this time I thought you did, but I was wrong.  He's got plenty that you don't have… he's the father of my baby," she said.  She waited for his response, watching as he processed her words.

"I _told_ you not to talk about that goddamn baby!" he screamed suddenly, lunging at her.  He began to nail her repeatedly in the stomach, unmercifully pounding into her.  Britney screamed in pain, begging for him to stop.  She pulled at her wrists, trying with all her might to release them from the ropes.  She yanked her right wrist so hard she managed to get it out, burning her wrist in the process.  She punched Brock in the face as hard as she could, knocking him backward.  Looking at her with fury, he grabbed the lamp off the nightstand, whacking her in the head with it.  It knocked her out cold, and Brock could see the blood beginning to stain her blonde hair.

"Shit," he muttered, walking over to a chair and plopping down in it.  Suddenly, he heard a sound outside the window.  A car door shut, then another, then another.  Then, Brock heard police sirens.  Walking over to the window, he looked out into the driveway of the large house.  _Holy shit,_ Brock thought as he looked at Britney, laying unconscious on the bed.  He didn't even help her put her pants back on yet.  He hadn't expected them to get here this early.  He saw Adam and Chris Irvine walking up the driveway… and they had Shane McMahon and two police officers with them.

Excitement!  LOL, next comes the sad part, so be prepared.  Let me know what you think!


	49. Part 48

PART 48

OUTSIDE THE HOUSE

Two cars pulled up in front of the mansion, one containing Adam, Chris, and Shane, and the other containing two armed police officers.  Vince had given Shane a number to call while on the way to the house and he had done exactly that.  The three WWE Superstars made their way up the driveway, when the officers stopped them.

"You three just wait out here," one of them instructed, while the other man called for an ambulance and backup, just in case things got out of hand.  Shane was the first to protest.

"Fuck that.  That's my baby cousin in there, I'm going in with you… and so is he," he said, pointing at Adam.   Adam didn't budge, so Shane grabbed his arm and began to walk past the officer.

"Sir, no… Mr. McMahon, you can't go in.  We have no idea how serious this situation is yet," the officer said.  Shane wasn't satisfied with that.

"I'll tell you how serious it is.  Brock Lesnar kidnapped my little cousin Britney and he has her in there, and I would like to get in there so I can get my hands on his neck and strangle him," he said murderously.  

"That's exactly why I don't want you going in… I know you're father Shane, and if that's any inclination as to how you are, I don't want you going in and doing something you'll be imprisoned for," the man explained.  Shane argued some more, but eventually gave up when he saw that he was fighting a losing battle.  Adam, who was white as a ghost, sat down on a chair on the front lawn… his knees were too watery to stand.  Chris watched him with worry… he didn't look good at all.

"Hey… you okay?" he asked with concern.  He hadn't said a word since he'd read the letter from Brock.  The whole trip to the house he was completely silent.

"I… not until I see her," Adam replied.  Shane walked over to the two Canadians, frowning as he looked at Adam.  He looked like he was going to pass out.  It had to be unbearable, not knowing the well being of your girlfriend *and* your baby.  The two police officers entered the house, carrying their guns in front of them.  While they were waiting, an ambulance and two more police cars pulled up in front of the house.  An EMT came out and asked if there were any injuries known yet.  Looking at Adam and Shane, Chris decided that he was probably in the best mental condition, so he walked over to talk to the woman.  While Chris went to the ambulance, Shane moved over and sat down next to Adam.  Placing a hand on the blonde man's shoulder, he tried to reassure him.

"She's going to be okay Adam," he tired.  It didn't seem to work too well.  Adam's mind was all a blur.  All he could think of was Britney and the baby and if they were alright.  If anything happened to Britney he would just die.  He couldn't remember a time in his entire life when he was so scared.  He was absolutely terrified.  Shane opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was cut off by two loud noises… gun shots.

"Shit!" both men cried.  As quick as they'd heard the noises, Adam and Shane were in the house, ignoring the police orders as they raced up the steps.

IN THE BEDROOM 

Brock stood in the middle of the room, staring blankly at the mess he had left in the room.  Britney was still unconscious on the bed, her pants now on but not buttoned.  The two officers, who had burst in the room a moment earlier, were laying on the floor, bloodied.  They had been shot down the second they walked in the door.  Brock had been prepared, pulling his _own_ gun out and firing it the second the door opened.  He turned, freezing when he saw Adam and Shane standing in the doorway.  As Adam caught a glimpse of Britney, his eyes widened.  She was laying on the bed, and blood was matted on the top of her head and forehead.  _Oh my God._  The Canadian felt like he was going to be sick.  He felt even worse when he turned his gaze and saw the officers on the floor.  One of them, the man who'd instructed them to stay outside, was bleeding from the hip.  The other Adam could tell was dead… blood was just pouring from every place possible.  He turned back to Britney and began to move toward her. 

"Don't move Adam," Brock warned.  Adam ignored him, going over to the bed.  He stopped an leaned down, and just as he was about to touch her face, he heard the sound of a gun being cocked.  In his peripheral vision, he saw Brock pointing a gun at him, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. 

"I'm giving one more chance Copeland… back the fuck off," he growled.  This time, Adam did as he was told, backing up to where Shane was standing, eyes wide.  "You just *had* to bring the cops, didn't you?" Brock said, eyeing the two men with disgust.  "But you know what?  That's just fine with me, because I was right.  I was right when I told you long ago that I never lose, and I was right when I told you earlier that you would be too late.  You're too late," he said cockily.

"I hate you," Adam said, tears filling his eyes as he looked at his girlfriend.  "I didn't think it was humanly possible to despise someone as much as I despise you.  You've done nothing but make my life a living hell for the past year.  I hate you Brock… and I want you to die," he said with a dangerous tone.  

Shane watched as Adam, without warning, walked over to the fallen officers, leaned over the one that had been shot in the head, and picked up his pistol.  He eyed the shiny metal with amazement, a twinkle in his eye.  Shane was just in shock.  He was damn scared… and he had just watched Adam lean over a dead body and pick up a gun, which he was apparently intent on using.  It was obvious that Adam was not in the right state of mind, because he _never_ would have been able to do that had he been thinking straight.

"You don't have the balls to shoot me," Brock commented calmly.  Even though he seemed outwardly confident, Brock's mind was going a mile a minute.  He hadn't planned on all the extra people showing up.  He was thinking Adam, Chris, and Britney… and maybe even Shane, and so, cocky idiot that he was, he only had four bullets in his gun.  Now he had two bullets, and three people to use them on… four if Chris decided to join them.  Not to mention the fact that one of the three people in the room had a loaded gun in his hand, which probably held way more than four bullets.  Suddenly, Brock heard a pained groan from behind him.  _Make that four people_, he thought, as the officer who was shot in the hip began to stir slightly.  He grabbed his gun from where he had dropped it and began struggling to stand.  It suddenly hit Brock that as of right now he'd committed murder, assault, sexual assault, and assault with a deadly weapon… and there were three witnesses.  He had never been caught in the act like this before.  He had to think fast.

"Brock… put the gun down," the officer instructed, finally getting to his feet. 

Brock kept his gun aimed and cocked and slowly moved towards the door.  He eyed the three men, taking his first shot.  He nailed the officer in the head, and he dropped dead instantly.  Adam and Shane's eyes widened in shock as they looked over at the man, and Adam dropped the gun he was holding onto the floor.  _That takes care of one._  Brock looked from Shane to Adam, Adam to Shane.  He had to choose between the two men he despised more than anything in the world.  He took Britney out of the picture… she was probably damaged enough anyway.  It was a tough decision for him, but he had to think quickly.  Finally, Lesnar made up his mind.  He knew that Paul had left the backdoor open and opened up an escape route through the backyard should anything like this happen.  Brock would have to move fast, as he could hear the other police officers readying themselves to enter the house as well.  He readied himself to run, and locked eyes with the target he'd selected.  Brock ran out the door and out of the house, but not before aiming and pulling the trigger, nailing his target with his last bullet.

**Who did Brock shoot?!  I want some guesses!  LOL, you'll have to wait till next time to find out!**


	50. Part 49

PART 49

IN THE HOUSE

When the gunshot from Brock Lesnar's gun rang out, Adam immediately dropped to the ground.  He could hear Lesnar's feet stomping down the stairs and out the back door.  Sitting up, he looked out into the hallway, and he saw that it was completely empty.  Brock had gotten away.  Suddenly, he realized that he wasn't in any pain.  Then it hit him… he wasn't shot.  He could have sworn when Brock was eyeing the two men from the door that he was looking at him.  He looked over at the two dead police officers, and then at Britney.  They were all still in the same spots.  Then, Adam heard a pained groan, coming from next to him on the floor.  He turned slightly and saw Shane laying there, gripping his stomach.

"He shot me Adam… that bastard shot me," Shane muttered in disbelief.  The bullet ripping through him hurt like hell… Shane couldn't remember a time in his life where he was in such pain.  That was saying a lot considering all the crazy stunts he'd done for WWE over the years.  Adam turned even whiter than before.  He was in a room full of blood, and it was making him sick.  He put his hand on Shane's shoulder.

"You'll be okay Shane.  I'm going to go get Chris and the EMTs… you'll be fine," he assured him.  Shane looked at him, his eyes glossing over slightly.  Moving his arm slowly, he touched Adam's arm.

"Adam… I can't feel my legs," he said, trying to move with no success.  "I-I feel horrible.  Maybe… maybe I won't be fine."

"No… Shane, don't talk like that.  You'll be okay.  We just have to get you to the hospital, and the doctors will fix you up and you can go home," Adam said, trying to reassure both of them at this point.  He was feeling incredibly guilty at the moment.  Three people were shot, two were dead, and one was possibly on the way, all because Brock hated Adam.  None of this would have happened if Adam just listened to Brock when he told him to leave Britney.

"Adam, listen to me.  If anything happens, tell Marissa and Brit and Steph and my family that I love them," Shane said.  Everything was suddenly growing darker.

"Shane, stop!  You're not going to die," Adam said, as Shane's grip on his arm loosened.

"You don't know that Adam.  Just please, do that for me.  I-I want you to know you've been like a brother to me over the past year… thank you for that.  T-take… take care of Britney for me," he said, and everything around him grew black.   Adam looked at Shane as his eyes closed and his arm fell to the floor.  _Oh my God… what the hell have I done?  _Adam knew he had to get help in there quick, or Shane wouldn't get to a hospital quick enough.  And Britney… Adam didn't even know what her condition was.  Picking himself up off the floor, he had to lean on the wall for support, as his knees were growing weak.  He made his way to the window, where he saw the EMTs preparing stretchers.  He pulled the window open, and screamed out to Chris.

"Chris!  We… we need help!"

ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL 

Chris grabbed his cell phone, trying to turn it on as he steered the car.  He and Adam were following the ambulances containing Britney, Shane, and the bodies of the two police officers to the hospital.  They had to get a hold of Vince and tell him what happened, as he would be waiting.  Chris didn't like talking on the phone while he was driving, but he knew that Adam certainly wasn't going to call and explain to Vince that Britney was unconscious and Shane had been shot.  Suddenly, the Canadian remembered that Vince didn't have a phone.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, causing Adam's head to shoot up.  "I can't call Vince… he doesn't have a phone.  Who else can I call that I trust enough to tell *only* Vince?"

Adam shrugged, "Try Stephanie's cell.  Or Jay's… they're probably together," he offered, unable to think of a better solution.  Chris nodded, finding Stephanie's name in his memory and calling her cell.  When she answered, Chris spoke right away.

"Steph, it's Chris.  Listen, I need to talk to your dad right now," he said quickly, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions.

"For what?  And how come you're not at the arena?  I saw they took your name off the card," Stephanie said from the other end of the line.

"Steph, this is an emergency, please… get your father," Chris pleaded.  He didn't want to have to be the one to tell her that her brother had been shot and no one even knew what condition her cousin was in.  He didn't really want to tell Vince either, but he knew Mr. McMahon would handle the situation better than his daughter.

"Oh… okay.  I'm on my way.  But Chris, can you please tell me what's going on?" Stephanie asked worriedly.  She didn't like the sound of his voice.  She looked across the office she had, frowning as Jay sent her a confused look when she began to walk out of the room.  She gestured for him to follow.

"I-I… I'd rather not Stephanie," Chris said.  He didn't think she'd be able to handle it.  Stephanie sighed, looking at Jay as he sent her the same look of confusion.

"Chris, please… oh my God, it's Britney isn't it?  What happened?  And where are you, and Adam and Shane?" she asked fearfully, and Jay's ears perked up.  He was suddenly beginning to understand.

"Well… Brock kidnapped Britney, Steph," Chris said quickly, frowning as he saw Adam wince out of the corner of his eye.

"What?!  Oh my God, do you know where she is?!  Where the hell are you?" Stephanie cried, stopping dead in her tracks.  Chris sighed, he decided he better just say it all quickly.

"We found her, but she was unconscious.  We… we don't know how she is.  And Shane… Shane was… he was shot," he said, his voice shakier than he wanted it to be.  Adam's expression dropped at Chris's statement.

Stephanie's eyes widened, and she dropped her phone on the ground.  Jay leaned down next to her as she started sobbing.

"Oh God!  Jay… Shane and Britney… oh, Jay!" she cried, leaning into his arms.  Jay grabbed her phone from the floor after hearing Chris still talking on the other end.  He got the instructions to tell Vince and hung up.  Pulling Stephanie up off the floor as he stood, he cupped her face in his hands.  He knew he was scheduled for the show, but at the moment that wasn't his main concern.

"Come on… we're getting your dad and we're going to the hospital."

AT THE HOSPITAL 

Adam and Chris sat silently in the waiting room of the hospital, waiting for any update on either Britney or Shane's condition.  They'd been there almost 45 minutes and so far, nothing.  Adam was going crazy… he just sat in his chair, rocking back and forth, telling himself over and over again that it wasn't his fault.  _There was nothing I could have done._  Still, he felt amazingly guilty for everything.  He couldn't help but feel responsible for four lives.  _Five_, he thought, suddenly thinking of his baby.  If anything happened, he didn't know what he'd do.  He just wished he could sit still and calm down, but he couldn't stop shaking.  What bothered him even more was that he hadn't stopped Brock, and now he was on the loose just like Paul Levesque.

"Adam… do you want me to go see if they know anything yet?" Chris suggested.  He was just uncomfortable watching Adam fidget and shake like that.  Maybe if they knew something, anything, it would help him calm down.  Adam sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, please."

Chris nodded and stood, leaving Adam in the chair.  He walked over to the desk where the nurse was seated.  He stood in front of it and waited.  When he realized that she hadn't noticed he was there, he tapped on the wooden frame, getting her attention.

"Can I help you Chris?" the nurse asked.  She was an older woman, and she knew Chris's name not because he was a wrestler, but because he'd already asked her three times whether or not she knew anything.

"I guess you haven't heard anything?" he asked.  He knew they would be informed if anything changed, but he figured it was just wishful thinking.

"No.  I'm sorry honey, but I promise I'll let you know as soon as I do," she said, smiling sadly.  Chris nodded, turning to walk away.

"Thank you."

He walked back over to Adam and sat down, shaking his head when Adam looked at him expectantly.  Chris sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes.  He couldn't stand not knowing how they were, especially Britney and the baby.  Britney was one of his best friends… if something happened to him, he'd be just as heartbroken as Adam.  He'd thought of calling Jess to tell her what happened, but he didn't want to upset her.  He leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes as he waited for any news.  About twenty minutes later, he looked up to see Vince, Stephanie, and Jay rushing towards them.  He frowned at Stephanie… you could tell just by the look in her eyes that she had been crying the whole way there.  Jay had his arm wrapped so tightly around her waist it seemed that he was holding her up.  Chris couldn't imagine how she must be feeling at the moment.  She could very well lose her brother and her cousin, two of the most important people in her life.

"Have you heard anything?" Vince asked, eyeing Adam with concern.  He hadn't even acknowledged their presence yet… he was just sitting there, staring straight ahead.

"No… they said they'd let us know when they had an update on either one of their conditions.  I've asked about three times in the last hour, and I've gotten nothing," Chris answered.  He watched as Jay led Stephanie to a bench across from them in the tiny room, sitting down with her on it, kissing the top of her forehead as she buried her face into his chest.

"They'll be fine Steph, don't worry," Jay said, though he couldn't be too sure himself.  He felt horrible about what was happening.  The thought of Shane being gone scared the hell out of him.  And the thought of losing Britney… Jay knew that if he lost Britney, he'd be losing his best friend too.  There was no way Adam would be able to handle it.  He closed his eyes, resting his head on top of Stephanie's.  A few minutes later, a man dressed in a white doctor's coat came into the room.  He looked at the group, who all gazed up at him expectantly.

"You're all here with the people brought in an hour ago?" he asked.  When they all nodded, he sighed.  They already looked so upset… it made his job even harder than it already was.  He looked around at the people once more, before finally swallowing hard and continuing.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

**Haha, another cliffhanger!  LOL, I think I'm getting good at them.  What do you think it is, and who is it about???  Let me know what you think!**


	51. Part 50

PART 50

IN THE WAITING ROOM

Vince, Adam, Stephanie, Jay, and Chris looked at the doctor, fear in all their eyes.  Bad news?  They certainly had dreaded hearing those words leave the man's mouth.  Vince's heart dropped.  He felt more guilty now than ever before for not listening to Shane all those years ago.  _Damn you Vince, you have to be such an egomaniacal bastard.  I could have prevented this… I should have prevented this._  He braced himself for the worst, awaiting the doctor's response.

"Um… could you elaborate a little on that?" Vince asked worriedly.  He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the news.  Whether it be about Britney or Shane, it wasn't going to be good, and it wasn't going to be easy for the five of them to take.

"Well, as far as Mr. McMahon goes, I'm not sure.  I'm not his operating doctor, so I won't know anything about his condition until he comes out of surgery, and I'll inform you immediately.  The news I have… it's about the young woman… which one of you is her boyfriend?" he asked, scanning the group.  His son was a fan of wrestling so he knew who they were, but he didn't know well enough to know which one was Britney's boyfriend.  He knew that Edge played her boyfriend on TV, but he couldn't be totally sure of that.  He saw one of the men, whom he recognized as Edge, raise his hand.

"I-I am… what happened?" he asked, nervousness increasing dramatically by the second.  The doctor gestured out of the room, signaling for Adam to follow him.  He stood, walking slowly out of the room.  Once outside the door, the doctor turned back to Adam.

"I'm Dr. Smith.  I just had to let you know we have an update on your girlfriend's condition, Mr…"

"Copeland.  Adam Copeland," he supplied.

"Right, Mr. Copeland.  Well, I'm really sorry, but I'm afraid there's some bad news," Dr. Smith said, eyeing the young man with concern.  He looked ill already… perhaps he should have brought another person out with him.  He recognized his old tag team partner Christian in that room… he considered going in to get him, but he figured he'd better not.  _You already told me that,_ Adam thought.  _Why do you insist on torturing me like this?  Haven't I been through enough already?_  He wished the doctor would just spit it out already.  Dr. Smith frowned at the young man.  He was a husband and a father, so he knew this news would absolute crush him.

"Well, as far as Britney's condition goes, we're not sure.  She still hasn't regained consciousness and she remains in critical condition… there's been some blunt trauma to her head.  But, I'm afraid that…" he trailed off.  This had always been the worst part of his job.

"Afraid that what?" Adam asked, preparing himself for the worst.

"I'm so sorry Adam, but there's nothing we could do… we lost the baby."

"What?" Adam said, his mouth going completely dry.  He must have heard the doctor wrong.  His baby wasn't dead… it just wasn't possible.  Dr. Smith knew that Adam wasn't asking him to repeat, as he'd heard every word.

"I'm sorry… we did everything we could.  It appears that the man who attacked her intentionally killed your baby.  From what we can see, he repeatedly hit her in the stomach," he explained.  

Adam's frown turned into a scowl as he thought of Brock Lesnar.  He took something away from him that couldn't be replaced.  Adam was incensed… he had never been so mad in his whole entire life.  He felt his knees go watery, so he found the nearest chair and sat down, resting his head in his hands.  It was just then that it hit him… his baby was gone.  The poor little thing was dead before it even got a chance to live.  What was even worse, that wasn't an accident… Brock had _meant _to do it.  He wanted to kill the baby.  _My baby is gone.  I'm not a daddy anymore… I'll never get to hold my own baby._  He felt the tears stinging at his eyes, but unlike the other times, he didn't try to fight them.  He let them fall down his cheeks, his shoulders shaking.  Dr. Smith frowned.  He thought about trying to comfort him, but he knew he had to get back to Britney and to find out from the doctor operating on Shane McMahon what his condition was.  He walked back into the waiting room so he could deliver the news to the other four people, leaving Adam out in the hall alone.  A few moments later, Jay stepped out into the hall where Adam was sitting.  He sat in the chair next to him, placing his hand his best friend's shoulder.

"Adam, I… I'm sorry man," he said, not really knowing what else to say.  

What else could be said?  The man just found out that he lost his baby?  _No little Jay running around._  Even Jay felt completely overwhelmed with sadness.  This was something he'd been dreading happening.  Adam couldn't handle this, and Jay knew it.  He watched him closely as he suddenly looked up.  Wordlessly, Adam shrugged Jay's hand off of him and stood, making his way to the exit of the hospital.  Jay watched him for a minute, wondering where in hell he was going.  Then, he stood as well, going after him… if Adam was going to do anything stupid, he wanted to be there.  He followed him out of the door and around the building, noting that it had since grown dark.  Jay watched Adam turn a corner of the building, following him until he reached the corner himself.  He thought of continuing over to him, but when he caught a sight of him he decided against it.  Jay frowned, looking at Adam as he sat down on the ground, hugging his knees protectively.  The taller Canadian was rocking back and forth as he stared out into the parking lot.  God, it had to be the most awful feeling in the world, knowing that your baby was never going to see the light of day… and that someone intentionally saw to that.  Jay involuntarily shuddered as he watched his lifelong friend.  He couldn't remember ever seeing Adam so torn up.  He very cautiously made his way over to him, kneeling down gently next to him.  Jay said nothing, only hoping that his presence would be somewhat comforting to Adam.  He sat back, resting up against the wall like Adam was.  Eventually, Adam spoke.

"Jay… my baby," he choked out.  He still couldn't believe he'd lost his unborn child.  The thought just wouldn't register in his head… it didn't make sense.  Jay glanced at Adam's face, feeling absolutely horrible at the saddened look on his face.  He looked like someone who… well, he looked like someone who had lost his child.

"I know Adam.  I'm so sorry," Jay said in as soothing a tone as he could manage.  He just couldn't think of anything else to say other than that he was sorry.  That was all he was at the moment… sorry.  He was sorry that Britney was hurt, sorry that Shane had been shot, sorry that Adam had lost the baby, sorry that Brock Lesnar had been the cause of so much pain.  He looked at Adam once more… tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"I… I don't understand.  The baby didn't do anything… why?  Why did this have to happen?  Why did he want to take my baby away from me before I even got a chance to see it?" he wondered aloud.  Jay winced at his words… _Because Brock Lesnar is the biggest mother fucking asshole I've ever seen._  He carefully put his arm on Adam's shoulder.

"Because he's sick Adam.  He… I don't think he realizes the seriousness of what he's done," Jay offered, though his thoughts and words were contradicting.  _Bullshit, he knew exactly what he was doing.  He's just a creep._   When Adam didn't respond, Jay apologized again, "I'm sorry Adam.  If there's anything I can do…"

"What are you on!?" Adam snapped, turning his head swiftly.  "There's NOTHING you can do Jay… nothing you do will bring my baby back!  Brock fucking killed it… and he isn't even sorry.  He MEANT to do it!  How the hell can you *want* to kill an innocent little baby?"

"I just meant that if there's anything that will make you feel better…"

"No Jay… nothing will make me feel better.  I lost one person already, and God knows how close I am to losing another.  What am I going to do if Britney doesn't make it!?" he cried.  _I'll die.  I'll absolutely fucking die._

"Well, we won't know unless we go back inside will we?" Jay asked.  He figured maybe if he got Adam back inside they'd have some kind of news on Britney's condition.  He started to stand, brushing himself off as he did so.  Adam looked up at him, a questioning look in his eye before he stood as well.

"O-okay, but Jay?  I have to tell you something first," he said.  Jay shuddered again, this time at the look in his eyes.  Adam was sending him a very strange look.

"Sure, go ahead," he said.  The look in Adam's eyes was intense to say the least.  Hell, it was almost scary.  Jay yet again shuddered as Adam replied.

"I want you to know the only reason I'm telling you this is because you're my best friend.  I've come to a decision Jay.  And if anything happens to Britney, I'm going to follow through with it."

BACK INSIDE 

Stephanie, Vince, and Chris sat silently in the waiting room, hoping for any updates on either Britney or Shane's conditions.  Then again, after the news they'd received a few minutes ago from Dr. Smith, they weren't so sure they wanted any more.  Stephanie shifted in her seat, checking her watch.  Adam and Jay had been gone almost fifteen minutes.

"Maybe I should go see what Adam and Jay are doing," she suggested.  Vince shook his head, gesturing for his daughter to sit back down.

"No Steph, they'll be back soon.  I'm sure Jay's just consoling Adam right now.  Leave him alone… he just had a bomb dropped on him," he said.  Stephanie frowned, but she complied with her father's orders.  She began to think of Britney's now dead baby.  _Damn it, I was going to be the godmother and everything… oh God, this isn't fair._  Tears refilled her eyes as she thought of how awful Adam must be feeling now.  What was worse, Britney was still unconscious… her baby was dead and she didn't even know it.  Suddenly, she saw someone standing in the door, and she looked up to see Jay.

"Where's Adam?" Chris asked immediately.  Then, he caught a glimpse of Jay's face and he got nervous.  The blonde man looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"H-he, uh… he said he wants to be alone," Jay replied, coming into the room and sitting down.  The expression he was wearing did not leave.  Stephanie was the next to pick up on it.

"Jay?  What's wrong?" she asked, concern flooding her brown eyes.

"I, uh… Adam told me something… it kind of freaked me out a little," Jay explained slowly.  'Freaked out' was too weak to describe how he felt when he heard what Adam had to say.  He was chilled to the bone… rocked to the core.  He was more scared now than he was on the way to the hospital.

"What did he tell you?" Vince asked.  He knew that judging by Jay's expression, it couldn't be good.  It made him increasingly nervous.  Jay sighed, looking up at the other two men, and then at his girlfriend.

"H-he said that… well, we were talking about Britney and Shane.  And he said… if anything happens to Britney, well… he's going to kill himself."

**Sadness… well, hope you're enjoying it. =D It's good to be evil sometimes.  Well, let me know what you think?  What's going to happen to everyone?!**


	52. Part 51

PART 51

ABOUT A ½ HOUR LATER

Dr. Smith reappeared in the waiting room, catching the attention of the five people inside.  Jay had since gotten Adam to come back into the room.  He didn't want him out in the hospital by himself, especially not after what he had told him a little while earlier.  When the two men returned to the waiting room, it got dead silent.  No one dared to say anything, not even sorry, or any other form of condolence.  They knew it wouldn't help Adam any.  Stephanie had to force herself to look away.  She was afraid if she kept her eyes on Adam for too long she would break and run over to him and try to comfort him.  He looked awful… he was no longer trying to hide his emotions, no longer trying to hide the fact that he wanted to absolutely die.  Chris made eye contact with Adam once, and he damn near broke himself.  He already felt horrible enough about Britney and the baby, but seeing the look on Adam's face… it was heart wrenching.  The five of them looked up at Dr. Smith expectantly.

"Well, I've just gotten word from Dr. Johnson… he's the surgeon operating on Shane… and he's given me an update on his condition," he said.  He watched as the group stared at him, awaiting for an answer.  They all looked so tired and upset, he hoped that this bit of news would cheer them all up at least a little bit.

"I'm happy to tell you that Shane is out of surgery and he's just waking up… his surgery was successful and he's going to be just fine," Dr. Smith said, breaking out into a small smile.  Vince returned the doctor's small grin.

"Thank you… can we see him now?" he asked hopefully.  Dr. Smith nodded.

"Yes, I can take you all up there now."  The group stood, stretching as they all made their way to the door.  Dr. Smith almost frowned, none of them looked too happy.  He supposed that they were glad Shane was alright, but they were probably still a little numb after hearing what happened to Britney.  Once they got outside of the door of the waiting room, Jay saw the look on Adam's face, so he grabbed Dr. Smith's arm.

"Do you have any news on Britney yet?" he asked, watching as Adam's head snapped up.  Dr. Smith frowned, shaking his head.

"Nothing's changed.  She hasn't gotten any better, but she hasn't gotten any worse either.  How long she stays unconscious will really determine her chances of leaving here with no damage," he said.

"So that means the longer she stays unconscious… the worse her chances are?" Jay asked fearfully.  The doctor nodded, turning and leading the group in the direction of Shane's room.  Jay winced as he looked at Adam's face… he suddenly regretted even asking about Britney.  The group was led up a flight of stairs and down a hallway, when Dr. Smith stopped at a door.

"Maybe you guys should go in as groups of two and then have someone go in alone… he needs rest, and a bunch of people crowding around him probably wouldn't be best right now," Dr. Smith suggested.  They nodded, and then he said something about going back to Britney and left them in front of the door.  The group debated on what groups they would form to go in and see Shane.  Vince didn't want Stephanie to go alone, so he figured he would go in alone.  He also didn't want Adam and Steph to go in together, as the two of them were the most likely to break down.  The only problem was, he wanted Jay to go in with _both _of them, because at the moment it seemed like he was the one doing the most comforting.  Suddenly, Chris piped up.

"How about I go in first alone… I won't be long.  Then, Vince can go in with Steph and Adam and Jay can go in together," he suggested.  They all nodded, and Vince was now very glad that Chris was there to take charge of the situation.  The Canadian disappeared into the room, leaving the other four standing by the door.  Stephanie turned to Vince, sending him a sad look.

"I'm scared Daddy… I don't think I can go in there without crying," she said.  She knew her father didn't like it when she cried, and she just didn't think she could handle hearing him today.  He nodded sympathetically.

"It's okay sweetheart, you can cry.  You have every right to," he said softly, and Stephanie gave him a teary smile.  A few minutes later, Chris stepped out, holding the door open for the two of them to enter.  Taking Stephanie's hand in his, Vince stepped through the door to see his son.

IN SHANE'S ROOM 

Shane looked up as Jericho left his room and his father and sister entered.

"Hey guys," he said, sending them a tired smile.  Stephanie could feel the tears pressing at her eyes already.  Shane looked so weary… she just couldn't believe her big brother had been shot.  Even if he was okay, just the thought that she could *possibly* lose him scared the living hell out of her.

"Hi Shane… how are you feeling?" Vince asked, putting his arm around Stephanie's waist tightly, as though he was the only thing holding her up.  Shane frowned as he saw his baby sister… she looked incredibly upset.

"I'm feeling okay.  I'm still in pain, but I'll live," he replied.  "Um, Dad?  Could you excuse us for a minute?  I want to talk to Steph alone," he requested.  Vince was hesitant, but he okayed it when he saw Shane sending him a look that send he could handle it.  The WWE chairman nodded, stepping out the door and leaving his two children alone.  Once their dad was gone, Shane looked at Stephanie.

"Come here Steph," he said, opening his arms to her.  She walked over and sat down next to him on his bed, allowing him to wrap his arms around her as she broke into sobs.  Shane winced painfully as he shifted so he could hug her more tightly.  It almost brought tears to his own eyes to see her cry like this over him.  He ran his hand up and down her back as her shoulders shook.

"Shane… I… I thought I was going to lose you," she said, finally breaking away from him and looking into his eyes.

"You know, for a little while back at that house, I thought I was going to be gone too… I guess God has a few things planned for me still," Shane said.  Stephanie couldn't believe how positive he was being, especially right after being shot.  Then again, he always had been an amazingly strong person.  With herself and Britney around all the time, she supposed he had to be.

"Oh, Shane, I'm just so glad you're alright," she said, a few more tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Me too… now stop crying over me," he said softly.  Stephanie laughed quietly.

"I'll try," she said, offering him a small smile.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him once more.  Shane looked up and saw Adam and Jay standing in the doorway.  He cleared his throat, getting Stephanie's attention.  When she saw the two Canadians in the doorway, she moved to stand.

"We can wait a few more minutes if you guys want to talk some more," Jay said apologetically.  He hadn't meant to interrupt, he just thought it would be best if all their visits were kept short so Shane could get some rest.  Stephanie shook her head.

"No, that's okay Jay… I'm done anyway," she said.  She leaned down and kissed Shane on top of the forehead and walked away.  "I'll see you in a minute," she said to Jay, before closing the door behind her.

"Hey McMahon, how you feeling?" Jay asked, grabbing a chair and sliding it across the room so he could sit next to the bed.

"Okay Reso… it hurts like a bitch, but I'm feeling okay.  I'm alive, and that's all that matters," Shane said positively.  He didn't notice Adam wince at his words, but Jay did.  It was just another reminder of the hell Adam had to be going through right now.  Adam stood at the door, not moving a muscle since he had walked in the room.

"So when do I get out of this room and get to go see Britney?" Shane asked eagerly.  He thought maybe the doctors had told them when he would be released, or at least allowed to get up and walk around.  Jay's smile faded, and he immediately looked over at Adam.  The taller man's gaze was now fixed on the floor, as though he was fascinated with something on the tile.

"Um… Britney's not… she's not awake yet," Jay said, in a tone so quiet Shane could barely hear him.  Shane looked at him in surprise.

"What?  Well, what the hell's going on?  Why hasn't she woken up yet?" he asked, worry filling his eyes.  Jay suddenly wished Adam wasn't in the room… he'd have a much easier time explaining it without having to look back and see the toll it was taking on him.

"She, uh… she's just still unconscious.  They… the doctor's said the longer she's out… the worse her chances are of leaving with no damage," he said, suddenly finding himself fixated with the floor too.  He couldn't bring himself to look at Shane now either.  _Damn it Jay, get a hold of yourself.  No one else is being strong right now… you have to step up to the plate._

"Oh… oh my God," Shane said slowly, suddenly realizing what it was Jay told him.  There was a chance she wouldn't wake up.  There was a possibility that he would never get to see his baby cousin again.  Shane suddenly felt worse than before.  _Oh God…_

"There, um… there's more," Jay continued.  He looked over at Adam once more, praying that he wouldn't freak out when he told Shane.  He had to tell him about the baby… Shane had just as much a right to know as they all did.  Jay just hoped that Adam would take hearing it again okay.

"Oh, God, more?  I don't know if I want to hear it," Shane said, all the positive thoughts he'd had in his head flying out the window.  Jay frowned, _I don't know if you want to either._

"Well, it's about the baby.  The doctor said that… well, he told us if we'd gotten here sooner they could have done something… but there was just nothing they could do.  We were too late," he said quietly.  He watched as Shane's expression changed, his words sinking in to the man's brain.

"She… what?  The… the baby's dead?" he asked in disbelief.  Upon hearing his words, Adam jumped, pulling the door open and running out, slamming it shut behind him.  Jay turned back to Shane, nodding sadly.  He knew he should be going after Adam right now, but at the moment he felt kind of frozen, like he couldn't move at all.

"Oh my God," Shane said again.  _The baby is dead.  Brock killed my little niece or nephew.  _"Damn it!" he screamed suddenly, causing Jay to jump.  "I'm going to find that bastard and MURDER him for what he did to her!"  Jay put a finger to his lips, trying to calm him down.

"Shut up man… look, just try and calm down alright.  It can't be good for you to…"

"CALM DOWN?!  Did you hear what you just said to me Jay?  Brock _killed_ Britney's baby!  I'm going to return the favor!" he cried determinedly.  Jay nodded, his head going back to the door that Adam had ran out from.

"Okay, okay.  I really need to go find Adam and make sure he's okay.  Just try and get some rest okay?  Do it for Steph… you saw how upset she looked.  Don't worry her anymore by acting like a maniac," Jay said.  Shane nodded and laid back down.  After he was sure Shane wouldn't try to get up or anything, he went out the door, jogging down the hall to find Adam again.

ABOUT 2 HOURS LATER 

It was now 3:38 A.M.  Chris and Adam had been at the hospital for nine and a half hours, Stephanie, Vince, and Jay for eight.  All of them were extremely tired, but they couldn't sleep.  A nurse came in about an hour earlier and recommended that all of them, especially Adam, leave and get some sleep and come back later in the day.  If the situation wasn't as serious as it was, Jay would have laughed at the look that Adam gave that woman.  But the situation was dead serious, and so was his response.

"Excuse me, but could you please put yourself in my shoes?  The doctor told me my baby was dead and he wasn't sure when my girlfriend would wake up, if she even does.  Don't you think I'll want to be around if it happens?" he said in disbelief.  The older woman nodded, leaving the group alone.

Now, an hour later, they were still waiting.  Adam began to feel a little guilty for making everyone stay with him all this time.

"You guys can go if you want," he spoke up.  "I'm staying here, but there's no reason you should all have to stay."  Chris firmly shook his head.

"No way Adam.  We're all in this together," he said.  Adam almost smiled… he was glad that at least in a time like this he had a lot of support.  It was just a shame that his support was just as heart broken as he was.  He rested back in his chair, closing his eyes in hopes that maybe he was just dreaming.  _Wouldn't that be nice?  _He wanted more than anything to open his eyes and be back in his hotel room.  Maybe it was a dream.  After all, it felt like it couldn't be real, like it was some horrible nightmare that he was just waiting to wake up from.  Maybe everything, the whole thing with Torrie leading all the way up to being in the hospital now was just a dream.  He would open his eyes and Britney would be next to him.  Adam slowly opened his eyes, hoping to find that he was laying in bed with his girlfriend at his side.  But when he opened his eyes he didn't see Britney… he saw Stephanie, Vince, Jay, and Chris… and they were still all in a hospital waiting room.  Feeling the beginnings of tears threaten his eyes again, Adam quickly shut them again.  About 20 minutes later, he opened them again.  He hadn't been sleeping… he was much too afraid of missing something to do that… he was just hoping he could pretend he wasn't there.  This time, he saw Dr. Smith in the doorway.

"What is it Doc?" Chris asked, hoping that the news he had was good.  He wasn't really wearing any expression at all, so the blonde man couldn't be sure.

Suddenly, he broke out into a smile, and the group's eyes widened.  "I have good news… she's awake."

Their initial reaction was for all of them to break out in huge smiles, even Adam.  They were so grateful that she was awake.  They all started hugging, and it was probably the first really happy moment they'd had since they all had arrived.  Then, a question popped into Vince's mind.

"Are we allowed to see her now?" he asked, hoping that they would be allowed.  He suspected visiting hours were most likely over, but he was willing to fight for a chance to see he niece.

"Well, technically I'm not supposed to let you because it's so late, but if you promise to be quiet on the way up there, I'll bend the rules for you just this once," Dr. Smith replied, holding the door open for them.  They all stood, following him out the door and through the halls.  On the way their, Jay looked behind him to see Adam, and he was confused at his expression.  He didn't look happy at all.  Letting go of Stephanie, he slowed down and waited for Adam to catch up.

"What's wrong man?  Aren't you glad she's awake?" he asked curiously.  Adam sent him a look that he couldn't quite read.  He *was* happy when he heard… he was extremely happy.  Hell, if he didn't think he'd look like an ass he would have done a cartwheel down the hallway.  Knowing she was awake meant she would most likely be okay… it was the best news he'd heard all day.

"Of course I am," he said, sending Jay an almost hurt look.  "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry… you just look a little upset that's all.  I was thinking you'd be jumping off the walls," Jay replied.  He hadn't meant to offend him, but he could just tell something was up.  He knew Adam too well to know that something had to be wrong.

Adam knew he should be ecstatic, and when he first heard the news, he was.  But then, as they were walking down the hallway, a thought occurred to him.  If Britney had just woken up, Dr. Smith probably just ran out of the room to get them so they could see her in case she fell unconscious again.  She probably didn't know anything about Shane, or anything about the baby.  As much as he was going to hate doing it, Adam wanted to be the one who told her about the baby dying.  He'd much rather her hear it from him then from some strange doctor.  Still, he was dreading the moment coming more than anything in the entire world.  Looking at Jay with tired, sad eyes, he answered him.

"Jay, I have to tell her about the baby."

**Thank you guys so much for all the reviews!!!  You're the best!  Well, what do you think of this chapter?**


	53. Part 52

PART 52

****

OUTSIDE BRITNEY'S ROOM

Vince and Stephanie stood outside the door of the room where Britney was.  They were going to be the first ones to go in and see her.  On the way, it had been decided that Stephanie and Vince would go in first, Jay and Chris next, and finally Adam could go in alone.  Jay wasn't too fond of the idea of Adam going in there by himself, but Adam personally requested that he do so.  He didn't want anyone else in there when he told Britney about the baby.

"Alright Steph… you ready?" Vince asked, putting his arm around his daughter's shoulder.  Stephanie took a deep, shaky breath… this was going to be harder for her than seeing Shane was.  She hesitated a moment, and then nodded, allowing him to push the door open, knocking quietly as he did so.

"Hey sweetheart," Vince said when he saw Britney look up at him from her bed.  Moving over to her, he sat down on the edge of her bed.  "How are you feeling?"  Britney shifted, wincing a little at the discomfort.

"Okay… I'm not really in that much pain, but my head is killing me," she noted.  She wished she knew *why* her head was killing her, but for the life of her she just couldn't remember.  She looked past Vince and saw Stephanie behind her.  Her cousin had tears pouring out of her brown eyes.  Britney gave her a confused and concerned look.  "What's wrong Steph?"

_If you only knew everything that's wrong right now, _Steph thought.  Bringing her hands up to her face, the brunette did her best to wipe the tears away from her eyes.  Britney didn't know anything… she didn't know about Shane, she didn't know about her baby, she didn't know how crazy Adam was going.  Steph felt horrible knowing all that she did and not being able to tell her anything.  Before she went in, Jay made her promise not to say anything, that Adam would take care of that.  Sighing loudly, Stephanie thought of an answer.

"I… I was just scared that we were going to lose you, that's all," she said halfheartedly.  It was totally the truth, but she wasn't really lying either, so she felt a little better about it.  Britney didn't believe her, but she accepted her answer anyway.  She had a million questions anyway.

"Oh.  Well, how did you guys find me?  And who found me?  And where was I for that matter?" she asked.  She knew she was with Brock, and she vaguely remembered a few parts of what happened, like that she had absolutely no idea where she was.

"Well, Adam, Chris, and Shane found you… I think Brock just told them where you were, cocky bastard," Vince said, scowling as he mentioned Brock's name.  "You were at Paul's house."  Stephanie scowled as well at the mention of Levesque's name.  That bastard probably gave Brock the key and everything.  Britney nodded, trying to think of what happened while she was with Brock.  She couldn't remember anything.

"Oh," was all she said.  Stephanie let go of her father's hand, sitting in front of him on the bed.

"We really should go.  It's late and we're not even supposed to be up here, and I'm sure the rest of the guys want to see you, and I'm sure you need to rest.  I'll be back later on today," she said, leaning down and hugging her.  Britney hugged her back as best as she could, wincing as she felt another sharp pain in her head.  Stephanie stood and Vince slid down, leaning down to kiss Britney on the forehead.

"Get better quick honey… I want all of us to get out of this place as soon as possible," he said, smiling at her as they left the room.  Britney sighed, resting back on her pillow.  She heard someone clear their throat, and looked up to see Jay and Chris standing in the doorway.

"Hi kid," Chris said softly, coming over to her and sitting where Stephanie had sat moments ago.  He looked at her tentatively for a moment, like he was thinking about what he was going to do or say next.  Suddenly he pulled her up to him, wrapping his arms around her gently but firmly.  "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I'll try," she said, feeling choked up for the first time when she locked eyes with him.  She could see the beginnings of tears forming in his crystal blue eyes.  _My God, how close to dying was I?_  She took his hand in hers, sending him a questioning look.  "Chris, did something really bad happen to me?"

Chris was a little confused at her question.  "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said Chris… Steph was crying and you look like your about to… even Vince looked upset.  What's wrong with me?" she asked.  Jay, who was still standing in the doorway, closed the door and walked over and sat on the opposite side of Britney.

"It's just that it's been a stressful night.  Between you and Shane, we were scared, and…"

"What about Shane?" Britney interrupted.  She hadn't heard anything about anything happening to Shane.  Jay cringed… she didn't know.  _Damn it Reso, learn to keep your mouth shut._

"He, uh… he was shot.  When they went to the house you were at… Brock shot him," Jay answered quietly.  When he saw her eyes widen in shock, he quickly finished.  "But he's okay… in fact, he's already out of surgery and in a room.  We saw him already.  Trust me Brit, he's okay."  His reassurance didn't do much to make her feel better.  Shane had gotten shot trying to save her.  Sure he was okay, but he shouldn't have even been shot in the first place.

"This is all my fault," Britney cried, fighting back the tears.  Both Chris and Jay shook their heads.

"No it isn't, and don't let me hear you say that again," Chris warned her, cupping her face in his hands.  "The only person at fault here is the son of a bitch that did this to you guys."  Jay nodded firmly, reminding himself to talk to Chris later about hunting Brock down and killing him before the cops got to him.  Chris sighed as he looked down at his injured friend.  She looked so small in that bed.  Wincing, he noticed for the first time that she had stitches running across the top of her head.  Gently running his index finger underneath of them, he eyed her with concern.

"Shit… are you in pain?" he asked.  There had to be twenty of them at least.  Britney nodded, frowning as she suddenly remembered how her head had been injured.

"He hit me with a lamp," she said, to herself really.  She looked down, trying to recall why he did it.  All she could remember was him getting furious and picking the lamp up and swinging it at her.

"I know honey, he broke it too.  I saw the pieces of it on the floor," Chris commented, thinking of when he'd ran up to the room.  Jay's eyes widened… he hit her with a lamp?  Scowling, all he could think of is how his list of reasons to kill Brock Lesnar was growing rapidly.  Jay frowned at how morose the room had turned.  He tried to think of something to lighten the mood, but at the moment, there was nothing he could really think of.

"So, does it hurt bad?" he finally settled on, even though he knew it was a dumb question.

"Well," Britney said, "it's okay.  Sometimes it hurts really bad, like I'll get a sharp pain, but for the most part it's like a dull…"  She trailed off when she looked up and noticed that the door was open and someone was standing in it.  She locked eyes with the man in the door, seeing him for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Adam…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Adam stood in the doorway, almost gasping as he saw Britney for the first time.  He felt like he hadn't seen her in eternity, when in reality it had been a little over nine hours.  He simply stood there for a minute, staring at her from across the room.  He winced almost unnoticeably as he saw the stitches on top of her head.  He slowly began to move closer to her, watching as Adam and Jay said goodbye, kissed her on the forehead and stood.  They walked past him, Jay placing a consoling hand on Adam's shoulder as they locked eyes.  Adam knew the look Jay was sending him was a 'good luck' gaze.  He nodded at his best friend, walking past him and over to his girlfriend's bed.  He sat down next to her, cupping her hand in his face.

"Baby… you're okay," he said, looking at her sadly.  She looked incredibly tiny and fragile in that hospital bed, surrounded by the pillows and sheets.  Britney looked up at him, unable to tell if what he said was a statement or a question.  Placing her hand on top of his, she frowned as she could see the tears filling his eyes.  That was the third person she'd seen cry in the last five minutes.  Something was up, and she was going to find out what it was.

"Yeah, I'm okay Adam… are you okay?" she asked, concerned.  He sent her an odd look, wondering why in hell _she_ would be asking _him_ that question.  Then again, he probably looked like hell, so it did make sense.  He could feel the tears filling his eyes each time he tried to blink them back.  He knew he couldn't lie to her.

"I, uh… no," he said, unable to bring himself to say yes.  He let go of her face, looking at the wall.  As he studied the wall, she studied his face, wondering what in hell was going on.

"W-well… why aren't you okay?" she asked fearfully.  Wiping his eyes, Adam shook his head.

"Brit, do you remember what happened before you got knocked out?" he asked.  He really didn't want to know what Lesnar did to her, but then again, part of him did.  He wanted her to get her story out before he told her the bad news.  Thinking hard, Britney was beginning to remember more and more of what happened.

"I, um… he yelled a lot, and he tied me to the bed so I wouldn't get away," she recalled.  Then, it hit her… she remembered the rest of the event.  She squeezed her eyes shut as she saw Brock hovering over her, unbuttoning her pants, pulling his off.  Adam watched her as she shook her head, as if she was trying to rid herself of a vision.

"What is it?  Baby, what else happened?" Adam asked, fear flooding his handsome features.  When Britney opened her eyes, he could see that they had filled with tears.  He put his arm around her shoulder as she tried to continue.

"I'm so sorry Adam… he… we had sex.  I wanted to fight him… but I couldn't move my arms… I just… I just let him do it… I'm sorry," she said, looking away from him.  Adam couldn't believe it.  Not only had he shot Shane, killed two police officers, beat the hell of his girlfriend, killed his baby… he made Britney have sex with him too?

"W-what?" he asked, his mouth going completely dry.  "Oh my God."  He never even thought it could happen… not to Britney.  Telling her about the baby was becoming a harder and harder task by the minute.  He decided that he had to do it… he couldn't play around any longer.

"Brit, I uh… I have to tell you something," he said cautiously.  Britney looked back at him.  She wondered why he hadn't said anything more about what she'd just told him, but she didn't argue.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.  She frowned as she watched a tear slide down his cheek.  _Oh God…_ this wasn't going to be good.

"Um… it's about… it's about the baby," he said, closing his eyes.  He couldn't bear to look at her when he told her this.  "The baby… it's gone Brit."  As soon as he finished his sentence, the tears sprang from his eyes.  That was the first time he'd actually said it out loud, and it hurt worse than he'd ever imagined.  It made him realize yet again that he was no longer a father.  _My baby is dead._  Britney wasn't sure she heard what he said at first, but then his words sunk like a ton of bricks.

"What?  What do you mean gone?  Like, dead?" she asked, putting a hand over her mouth in shock.  Brock killed her baby… he actually hated the poor, innocent baby enough to kill it.  Adam nodded, waiting for her reaction.  She hadn't really passed the shock phase yet.  Then, he watched the tears gradually fill his eyes, not bothering to try and control his own anymore.

"I'm so sorry honey," he said, pulling her closer to him.  

He wished that holding her would make the pain go away like it always had, but for some reason, he didn't think it was going to work this time.  She leaned into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck as she burst into sobs.  He held her tightly as she shook against him, sobbing loudly.  He wanted to tell her to be quiet, that she might wake the other patients, but he couldn't.  He felt horrible, worse than he had all day.  For the first time in their entire relationship, he couldn't comfort her.  He couldn't make it go away, because nothing that he did would bring the baby back.  He moved his legs up onto the bed, laying down next to her as he did the only thing he could do… he cried with her.

**That was probably my saddest chapter yet.  So what do you think????? Review please!**


	54. Part 53

**PART 53**

TWO DAYS LATER

Stephanie walked down the hallway of the hospital in search of the cafeteria.  She hadn't eaten in hours and she was absolutely starving.  She wanted to grab a quick bite to eat before everyone was ready to go.  Both Britney and Shane had been cleared to leave the hospital today.  The brunette was so grateful that they were being released because she didn't think she could take being in that hospital another day.  She couldn't imagine how Adam felt.  While she had left the hospital the past two nights with Jay to get some sleep, Adam had stayed at that hospital the whole entire time.  The nurses and doctors tried to get him to leave, as they were afraid he would pass out from exhaustion, but the Canadian refused.  Then, when they told him they would find him a room to sleep in he refused again.  He said he wanted to stay in Britney's room, right by her side.  After awhile the hospital staff gave up, learning that he was too stubborn to have it any other way.  That was one of the other reasons why Steph was so glad her brother and her cousin were being released... Adam had only slept about 7 hours in the last three days.

Stephanie was actually really surprised at how well Britney and Adam were handling losing their baby.  The first day was really hard for them... they wouldn't see anyone all day.  The couple times that Adam had to leave the room so Britney could see the doctor, he said nothing.  He sat in a chair and stared into space until he was allowed back in with her.  Steph remembered one night before she'd left with Jay, she snuck up to the room, just to see how they were doing.  When she got to the room and quietly pressed the door open, she could almost feel the tears as she saw the two of them.  Britney was laying in the bed and Adam was there as well, half on the bed, half hanging off.  It had to be the most uncomfortable positions to sleep in, but he was doing it for Britney.  Stephanie was touched at how caring the Canadian was toward her cousin and for a rare moment, she smiled.  Finally locating the cafeteria, Stephanie stepped inside and looked around.  She searched around and found a chip counter, grabbing a bag and making her way to the register.  She grabbed a bottle of iced tea as well, and after paying the woman at the counter for her items, she made her way back to the group.

IN THE WAITING ROOM

Vince, Jay and Chris sat in the waiting room, now joined by Britney.  Adam and Shane had gone up to the front desk to finish filling out some papers.  Chris sat on a couch with Britney, his arm around her shoulder.  The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence.  No one had really spoken to Britney about much since Adam told her about the baby.  Chris shifted in his seat, turning towards her as he decided to strike up the conversation himself.

"You ready to get out of here kid?" he asked, trying to make conversation in the silent room.  Not shifting her gaze from the floor, Britney answered him quietly.

"Yeah... I'm sick of this place," she said.  

Jay looked up when she spoke, eyeing her face with concern.  She just wasn't going to be the same Britney anymore.  He could already tell... that glow that was always present on her face wasn't there.  He missed her already, and she wasn't even really gone.  He just hoped it wouldn't take too long for her to get over this.  Listen to yourself Jay... get over this.  She lost her baby... God, I'm an asshole sometimes.  His eyes searched the room as he met eyes with Vince.  The two of them had become particularly close over the last two days.  Jay could honestly say that he never could have pictured himself becoming so close to Vince McMahon, but being so close to losing his son and the niece he considered to be a daughter was a very humbling experience for Mr. McMahon.  He actually opened up to Jay a couple times about how scared he was, and the Canadian really respected that.  Still, it wasn't a side of Vince that he was used to.  As he sat back in his chair, he wondered where Stephanie was.  She had left at least ten minutes ago to go find food, and she hadn't returned yet.  Then, as if she was reading his mind, she burst in the door.  Jay smiled at first, but his grin dropped when he saw her.  Her eyes were wide, and she was as white as a ghost.

"What happened?" he asked, getting everyone else's attention.  She walked over to him and sat down, shaking her head in disbelief.  "What is it?"

"Oh... I... I saw..." she said, trying to catch her breath.

"You saw what?" Chris asked, pulling Britney a little closer as he saw the fear in her eyes.

"Yeah," Vince added, "What did you see Steph?"  Looking back and forth between everyone in the room, Stephanie took a deep breath and told everyone what happened.

A FEW MINUTES EARLIER

Stephanie was on her way back to the waiting room.  As she passed her brother and Adam at the front desk, she waved and sent the two men a small smile.  She couldn't believe her brother was filling out his own release papers.  Sure, he was okay and he wasn't severely injured, but he was shot between the chest and the shoulder... it had to hurt like a bitch.  She continued on, turning down a hall.  She suddenly realized that she was very thirsty, so she stopped to take a sip of her iced tea.  Then, she decided she would stop by the bathroom, since she knew they would be in the car for awhile, driving to the city where Raw would be held.  The brunette groaned, suddenly remembering that the only bathrooms were on the second floor.  She walked to the staircase and up to the bathroom.  When she was done, she washed her hands and headed back out.  She checked herself in the mirror... she didn't look too bad, considering all the crying she had done that weekend.  She expected her eyes to be really swollen, but they weren't too bad.  She made her way down the stairs, stopping when she heard a noise.  It sounded like someone was whispering her name.

"Stephanie..."

She shuddered instinctively, thinking of all the people that had probably died in the hospital whose spirits could be roaming around.  She didn't really believe in spirits and ghosts, but it still freaked her out.  She shrugged it off and continued down the stairs.  She was almost at the bottom, when she heard the voice again.

"Stephanie..."

Again, she didn't turn around.  What she did do was pick up her pace, practically running down the rest of the stairs.  She couldn't wait to get the hell out of this hospital.  She finally reached the bottom, having to stop to catch her breath after what felt like years of running.  She sighed, running her hands through her long brown hair.  She silently wondered if she had ever known anyone that died in the building... maybe someone was trying to communicate with her.  Smacking herself in the forehead, she cursed herself for thinking such crazy things.  You're losing you're mind Steph... get a grip before you go completely insane.  You are overtired and you are in severe need of sleep.  She shrugged off the voice again.  Just as she was about to push the door to the stairwell open, she heard the voice again, only this time, it wasn't a whisper.  She recognized who it was immediately.

"I know you hear me Stephanie..."

She froze as she turned around, her fears confirmed instantly.  She was right about who was there.  It hadn't been a spirit or a ghost saying her name... no, it had been a person alright.  And that person should have been in jail by now, not in a hospital.  Stephanie gasped as he blew her a kiss from the top of the stairwell.  Then, without saying anything more, he turned and ran back up the steps.  Stephanie leaned against the wall in absolute shock.  She practically ran back to the waiting room... she had just seen Paul Levesque.

***Dramatic Music*  LOL... I was debating throwing Paul in at the end like that, but it fits well in my plans for him.  Haha, well let me know what you think!!!!!!******


	55. Part 54

PART 54 IN THE WAITING ROOM 

"You saw Paul?!" Jay asked, totally in shock.  He didn't think that Levesque would have the balls to show his face in public at all, let alone in a building where there were seven WWE employees, four of them ready to fight.  Stephanie nodded, the color only just now beginning to refill her face.  She was still shaken from her encounter with Paul.

"Yeah… he said my name, and when I turned around he blew me a kiss and then walked away," she said.  She shuddered as she recalled the cocky way he blew that kiss to her.  In an odd way, it made her feel dirty.  Chris, who was still sitting with Britney, looked down at the tiny blonde woman on the couch.  Her blue eyes were wide, and she looked almost as frightened and shocked as her cousin.

"Wait… did you say he went back upstairs?" Chris asked suddenly, a thought popping into his head.  When Stephanie nodded, the Canadian continued.  "How long ago was this Steph?"  Stephanie sent him a confused look.

"Just now… why?" she questioned curiously.  Chris took his gaze off of Britney and shifted his eyes to the brunette.

"Because, if it was just a second ago…"

"He's probably still in the building," Jay finished for him, seeing where Chris was going.  An odd, almost scary grin formed on Chris's face.

"Hey Jay, you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, glancing over at his friend.  Jay matched Chris's grin with one of his own.

"I think I am.  If what you're thinking has anything to do with you and I hanging out in the parking lot for a little while, then I'd say yes, we're thinking the exact same thing," he answered.  Stephanie's eyes widened as she realized what her boyfriend and Chris were saying.

"Guys, no.  I don't like that idea," she protested, grabbing a hold of Jay's forearm.

"Steph, think about it.  This is our chance to finally catch him.  We can beat him down and wait for the cops to get here," Chris explained.  He was more looking forward to the 'beating him down' part than the waiting for the police, but for her sake he kept his mouth shut.  Stephanie shook her head at him.  It was Chris she was scared for… it was Jay.  She knew Jay would want to kill Paul for raping her, but Jay had a tendency to think he was a lot stronger than he actually was.  If anything happened to Chris, she didn't know if Jay would be able to hold his own against Paul, who outweighed him by about 50 pounds.

"I-I just don't like the idea.  What if he has people with him?" she asked suddenly.

"Like who?  Steph, he doesn't have many friends," Jay pointed out, eyeing his girlfriend expectantly.  She really didn't want them to do this, so there had to be a reason.

"Brock Lesnar," Stephanie offered, shrugging.  Britney's head snapped up at the mention of Lesnar's name.  Chris frowned, wrapping his arm a little more tightly around her.  Finally Vince, who had been silently watching the whole time, decided to speak up.

"You know, I don't think Brock would be here… he's not as stupid as Paul is," he said, causing everyone in the room to turn their heads to him.  Thinking of his daughter and of Britney, he couldn't help but agree with the guys… this could be their one chance to get the bastard behind bars.  "Let them go Steph… they know what they're doing."

"But Daddy…"

"Steph," he said gently but sternly.  "This could be our only chance to catch him.  The guys will be fine."  Then, turning to Jay and Chris, he continued, "You guys go.  I'll call the police and tell them you'll be waiting."  With that, Jay and Chris stood, rushing out of the room as Adam and Shane reentered.

"Where are they off to in such a hurry?" Shane asked as he watched the two Canadians run past him.  Vince figured it wouldn't be best to tell them where Chris and Jay were going, otherwise they, especially Shane would want to go with them.  Mr. McMahon knew that his son was in no physical condition to fight, and Adam was in no mental condition to do so either.

"They're just, uh… they had to run somewhere.  They'll be back in a few minutes," he said quickly.  He wasn't lying, he just left a huge part of the 'somewhere' out.  "Anyway," he said, trying to change the subject, "What did the nurse say?"

"She said she just has to put the information into the computer and she'll come get us and then we can leave," Adam said, taking a seat on the couch with Britney.  He put his arm around her, pulling her close to him as he sat back.  He was so glad to finally be getting out of that place.  Everything about the hospital---the smell, the people, the white walls--- it just bugged the hell out of him.  He wanted to get out of there so bad, he didn't care if they went to the cheapest hotel in the next city.  The five of them settled back, waiting for the nurse to come back and tell them that they could go.  Vince silently hoped that that happened _after_ Jay and Chris got to Paul.

IN THE PARKING LOT 

Jay and Chris sat behind a large dumpster outside the hospital, watching and waiting for Levesque to come out.  They had been sitting there for about five minutes, waiting for any signs of the Game leaving the building.  Both men prayed that they hadn't missed him.  Suddenly, they saw a large man exit the hospital.  Jay squinted, nodding as his eyes confirmed what his mind was telling him.  There he was… Paul Levesque.  The ever-present arrogant smirk was spread across his face as he walked through the parking lot to his car.  Jay jumped upon seeing him, and Chris grabbed his arm.

"You're sure you want to do this?" he checked.  He didn't want Jay walking halfway out into the parking lot and then freezing.  If they wanted to take Levesque down, Chris was going to need all of Jay's help.  Jay looked at him like he was crazy.

"Are you fucking kidding?  Of course I'm sure!" he cried, a little offended.  He was sick of people thinking he couldn't take care of his girlfriend.  He had something to prove, and he was going to prove it today.  Letting go of his arm, Chris nodded.

"Okay, lets go."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Paul Levesque smirked arrogantly as he exited the hospital through the main entrance.  That had certainly been fun.  The look on little Stephanie McMahon's face was priceless.  She had been so scared when she'd seen him.  Brock had warned him not to go through with that, but he hadn't listened.  Lesnar said it would be too risky, too easy for him to get caught.  _Shows how much Lesnar knows._  He laughed as he walked to his car… he had been seen by about eight people, and not one of them said anything to him.  He guessed that they either didn't know he was wanted by the police or just didn't know who he was.  He had received a few odd glances, but that was it.  Then again, that was one of the reasons he moved to this town in the first place… not many people knew who he was.  Needless to say, he couldn't stay there anymore… he and Brock were on the run.  He had to meet up with Brock so the two of them could get back onto the road.  He reached his car, digging around in his pocket and pulling the key out.  He turned to look back at the hospital, when he was met with a fist.

"Fuck!" he groaned, leaning down and grabbing his jaw.  "What the hell…"  He trailed off when he saw who hit him.  A very angry, no… incensed looking Jay Reso, and standing right behind him was an equally angry looking Chris Irvine.  Shit… he had been caught.

"You thought you'd get away with this didn't you?" Jay asked, fighting extremely hard to keep his composure, but he wasn't doing too well.  "You actually THOUGHT you'd get away with this, just like you THOUGHT you'd get away with raping Stephanie!"  Paul put his hands up in protest.

"Now Jay, I never…"

"Shut the fuck up!" Jay said dangerously.  He moved in a little closer, cutting off the distance between them.  Chris just watched for the moment, letting Jay get out what he had to say.  "Do you have _any_ idea how much pain you caused her?  How much shit you put her through?  Do you have any idea how much pain your buddy Brock cause Britney?  He killed her baby Paul, did you know that?" he said, emotions getting the best of him.  He could almost feel tears pressing at his eyes, but he fought them away.  Paul's eyes widened slightly… he had know idea that Brock had killed the baby, or that he even tried to.  They hadn't talked about the event at all.

"Look, I'm not responsible for what Brock does.  I'm just…"

"Just what?  His little monkey?" Chris interjected, unable to keep quiet any longer.  "Why the hell would you listen to that piece of trash Paul?  You had it made before you started working with Brock.  You threw your whole life away to be his second man."  Paul's eyes narrowed at Jericho.  If it was one thing he absolutely hated to be called, it was a second man.

"Are you fucking kidding me?  I'm no one's second man," he said, glaring at Chris.  "So what do you guys want anyway?  You gonna beat me up or…"

He was cut off by another fist, once again from Jay.  After that, he and Chris were all over him, nailing him left and right with punches.  After a few minutes, Levesque slumped down on the side of the car.  He brought his hand up to his nose, groaning when he saw blood.  Once he was sitting on the ground, Jay and Chris began kicking him, relentlessly stomping into him until he was seeing spots.  Paul thought for sure he was going to pass out when he heard a ringing in his ears.  Then, as the sound got nearer and nearer, he covered his ears with his hands.  Then, his eyes widened… he realized what the noise was.

"Shit!" he screamed.  The noise wasn't coming from his ears… it was police sirens.  He was caught.  He stood slightly as Jay and Chris backed up.  Paul's stomach dropped as he saw two armed officers step out of the car.

"Put your hands up!" one of them called.  

Figuring there was no way he could escape and no way to attack anyone, he complied.  He put his hands above his head and walked out in surrender.  Jay and Chris both grinned as they watched the police handcuff Levesque and shove him into the squad car.  As his head was pushed into the car, Paul turned back and looked at the two Canadians.  He sent them both furious glances, but they didn't care.  He was going to jail, and this was probably the last time they'd ever see him, except for maybe on the news.  They high-fived, satisfied with their victory.  For the first time in the entire weekend, both men genuinely smiled.  It seemed like something had finally gone their way.  Justice was actually served for once.  The two men turned, heading back in the direction of the front door of the hospital.  Chris looked up at Jay, curious to see what kind of expression he was wearing.  He was a little surprised to see that his friend didn't look to be too happy.  You'd think after what had just happened he'd be doing cartwheels.

"Jay, what's wrong?  Aren't you happy?" he asked, concern filling his eyes.  Jay turned and gave him a small smile.

"Of course I am.  I'm just not going to get too excited yet," he said.  Chris raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Our job… it's only half finished.  We still have to get Brock," he stated plainly.  Chris shook his head.  Jay was a determined little soul.  For some reason, Chris had the feeling that Brock Lesnar would get himself caught too, just like Paul had.

"Don't worry about Brock yet Jay.  He'll do something stupid just like Paul.  Then we'll catch that bastard, beat the shit out of him just like we did his monkey, and then he'll go to jail too.  Then we can all do something we've wanted to do since all this shit started," Chris said.

"What's that?" Jay asked.

"Move on with our lives."

**Well, here's the next chapter.  Damn, I can't believe how long I've made this story.  Even though its not over yet, I want to thank everyone who reviewed this story, especially the one's who review a lot.  It means the world to me.  LOL, but like I said, it's not over yet!!!!!!!**


	56. Part 55

PART 55

LATER THAT NIGHT

Britney laid on the bed in the hotel, morosely flipping through the television channels.  She was glad that the day was finally over.  While it felt good to finally be out of the hospital, she almost wished she could go back.  That way, she wouldn't have had to go to Raw and face everyone.  News of what had happened to her and Shane spread like wildfire.  Nearly everyone knew that Shane had been shot and that she had lost her baby.  As she walked through the halls with Adam, Jay, and Chris, she couldn't help but notice all the sympathetic glances she was getting from her coworkers.  As much as she was glad that they were all being so supportive, she didn't want sympathy… she wanted to forget.  She wanted to forget and move on.  She couldn't count how many times people had come to her over the course of the day and said 'I'm sorry,' it happened that many times.  The young woman could also see the toll all the sympathy was taking on her boyfriend, and that only made her feel worse.  He didn't want to be there any more than she did, but he had to… he had a match, and he couldn't just not wrestle after being advertised on the card for over a month.  So, he went out, wrestled his match, got changed, and the two of them headed back to the hotel.  Vince told them they could have the rest of the week off, to go home and just be together alone for a little while.  He advised them to unplug their phone and turn their cells off… otherwise they'd be swarmed with sympathy calls.  Britney thought her uncle was being unusually sweet to them.  But considering what happened, Vince had a tendency to do a 180 when you were hurting.

"Hi," a voice called into the room, causing Britney to lose her thought.  Looking up, she saw Adam standing at the foot of the bed.

"Hi," she said quietly, watching as he slowly came over and sat down next to her.  He faced her and opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but no words came out.  He had been at a loss for words for the past three days.  The Canadian wanted to talk to his girlfriend, and he wanted to say something to make her feel better, but he could think of nothing.

"I, uh…"

"You don't have to say anything Adam," she said, offering him a tiny smile as she put a finger to his lips.  He shook his head in amazement as he stared at her.  She was being amazingly strong, when she had to be dying inside.  He didn't understand how she could do it.  Putting his arm around her, he pulled her close, savoring the feeling of her being in his arms again.

"How do you do that?" he asked in awe.  Raising an eyebrow, she shifted in his arms so that she could look up at him.

"How do I do what?" she asked, not really sure of what he meant.

"I mean, how can you be so strong after all this?  If I were you, I would be dying," he said, cursing himself for his word choice.  He probably could have worded it better, but then again he was struggling to get words out of his mouth period.  Shaking her head, Britney looked away for a moment before bringing her gaze back up and looking into his eyes.

"I am Adam," she said, her words chilling him.  "But I know that wallowing isn't going to get me anywhere.  I'm just going to try and move on… it's all we can do."  He nodded as he held her against him… she was right.

"I love you," he said out of the blue, staring deeply into her eyes.  She gave him a soft smile.

"I love you too, Adam," she replied, closing her eyes as he leaned down to kiss her.  "Let's just not worry about anything right now.  Maybe if we don't think of it, it'll just disappear," she suggested.  _If only it were that easy,_ Adam thought.  Still, if that was what she wanted to do, he was certainly willing to do it.

"Okay," he agreed, taking the remote from her hand and changing the channel.  He aimlessly flipped through, until something caught his attention.  It was a news broadcast, and in the corner of the screen next to the anchorwoman there was a picture of Paul Levesque.  He placed the remote down as he and Britney's ears perked up, wondering what the piece was going to be about.

"This man was arrested today in a small town outside of Greenwhich.  Some of you may recognize this man as Triple H, the WWE wrestler.  Triple H, who's real name is Paul Levesque, was captured today outside of Kennedy Memorial Hospital on the charge of rape against the World Wrestling Entertainment Chairman Vince McMahon's daughter, Stephanie.  Mr. McMahon himself called the police after his daughter, who spotted Levesque inside the hospital.  He is now in custody.  Still on the run though, is this man, Brock Lesnar.  He is wanted for kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend, assault, and the murder of two local police officers.  Anyone who has any information, please call the authorities."

Switching the TV off, Adam felt his eyes widen.  Kennedy Hospital… that was the hospital that _they_ were at that weekend.  Turning slightly, he looked over at Britney, whose gaze was focused on the bedspread.  Placing his hand under her cheek, he tilted her head up so she was looking at him.

"You knew he was there, didn't you?" he asked, eyeing her speculatively.  She lowered her eyes for a minute, wishing she had told him earlier.

"I, uh… yeah.  I didn't see him, but Steph told us," she said quietly.  Shaking his head, Adam continued to hold his gaze on her.  He wished he had known Levesque was there… he would have liked a shot or two at the bastard.

"And that's where Jay and Chris ran off to?" he asked rhetorically.  When she nodded her response, he continued.  "Why didn't you tell me?"  Britney winced at the hurt look in his eyes.

"Adam, I didn't want you and Shane going out there.  I knew Shane was hurt and you… well, let's face it, neither of us are mentally where we should be… I didn't want either of you to get hurt," she explained.  Adam nodded… she was right.  Both he and Shane would have wanted to go out and beat the shit out of Paul, and considering Shane was injured and Adam was just plain messed up, it wouldn't have been a good idea.

"You're right," he said.  "Now I just hope they find Brock soon."  Britney sighed, moving in closer to him and placing her head on his collarbone.

"I hope so too."

TWO DAYS LATER 

Brock Lesnar drove along the road in a rental car.  He made sure he only drove in the middle of the night, but he added tinted windows in too just in case.  He glanced over at the map he had in the console, trying to figure out where he could run to next.  He had heard on the radio a couple days ago that Paul had been caught and arrested.  For the first time since the whole project had started, Brock was alone.  Paul was on his way to jail, and Heyman was no help at all.

"Stupid pussy," Brock muttered as he steered his car along the empty highway.  He couldn't believe that Heyman would bail on him like he did.  He thought back to the conversation he'd had with his former agent just yesterday.

"Paul, it's Brock.  Listen, I need you to do me a huge favor," Brock said into his cell phone, driving down the road at a speed that was at least 20 miles-per-hour past the limit.  He thought he might have been spotted when he was getting gas a little earlier.  He had to get out of this town, and he needed a place to stay that was nowhere in the area.  He wanted to find out where Heyman was so he could go stay with him and not have to buy a hotel room or anything.

_"Uh… you know Brock, I've been meaning to talk to you about this situation," Heyman said, hesitantly at first.  Brock didn't like the tone of his voice._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I mean, maybe it would be best if… well, if we went our separate ways," Paul said carefully, hoping Brock wouldn't take this the wrong way._

_"What?" Lesnar said, daring him to repeat.  He could hear Heyman sigh loudly on the other end._

_"Look, Brock, when I got involved with you, I didn't expect it to go this far.  I thought we'd psyche them out, maybe rough them up a bit… you know, mess with them.  I didn't know you had plans of doing all this," he explained.  Brock could feel himself growing very angry.  Paul was trying to bail out on him, and he wouldn't stand for it._

_"Paul, I NEED your help!  I'm in the middle of some goddamn road, looking for a place to stay.  I need you to let me stay with you, just until I get my shit together," he said.  From his hotel room, Paul shook his head._

_"No Brock, I'm not getting arrested for hiding you," he said sternly._

_"You WON'T get arrested!  Look, you say you didn't expect it to go this far, well I didn't either!  I didn't think the cops would have found anything out!"_

_"Then you shouldn't have KILLED two of them!  You're a murderer now Brock… I'm not going to be associated with you in any way," Paul replied._

_"Damn it Paul, you are NOT turning your back on me… not now!  I need your help.  Look, just this one time, okay?  Then I swear, you'll never hear from me… hello?  Hello?" he called, not hearing anything on the other line.  He then realized that he didn't hear anything on the other line because there was no one *on* the other line.  That bastard had hung up on him!  Brock turned his phone off and threw it into the passenger seat, groaning loudly._

Brock clenched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.  He still couldn't believe that Paul Heyman had the nerve to desert him now, at a time he needed him more than ever.  He felt the strongest urge to punch something, so he did… the window. 

"Damn it!  Mother fucker…" Brock groaned, spitting a string of curses.  That had hurt… him and his damn temper problem.  He shook it off and continued driving.  It wasn't like he could go to a hospital and get it checked out.

As he drove along the road, he glanced over at the clock, which read 4:05.  What a way to be living… fleeing from the police, and driving down an empty road at four in the morning with a bloody hand.  _Who the hell am I kidding?  This is no way to live._  He looked over at the passenger seat… it was empty, just like the rest of his life was going to be.  Sighing loudly, he tiredly rubbed at his eyes.  He was going to be alone… alone and on the run for the rest of his life.

"I really fucked up."

**Almost done!  I realized today that I really don't have that much left planned for this story.  We're almost at the end.  I want to thank everyone again!!!!  I'm glad you're enjoying it!**


	57. Part 56

PART 56 

JULY 4, 2003 

Jay reclined back on his couch, waiting for Stephanie to come in the door.  The brunette had been swamped with work, as she'd missed a lot over the weekend, so she stayed on the road overnight to try and get some of it done.  He sighed, flipping through the channels on the television.  What a week.  He knew Adam and Britney were at home, only about fifteen minutes away.  He'd thought about going to visit them to see how they were doing, but then he decided against it.  Like Vince had told all the Superstars in a meeting they'd had on Thursday, they probably wanted to be alone.  He did try calling once, just because he was paranoid and wanted to be positive they were alright, but then he remembered that Adam said they were unplugging the phone.  He groaned as he came across a news station, scowling when he saw Brock Lesnar's face plastered on the screen.  The Canadian couldn't believe that bastard was still on the loose.  He almost wondered what he was up to… there wasn't much you could do when you were on the run from everyone in the country.

"Hi Jay."  The blonde man jumped slightly at the sound of his girlfriend's voice, turning to see her standing in the doorway.  He smiled, patting the seat next to him on the couch.

"Hey," he said, as she walked over and sat down next to him, dropping her bags onto the floor.  "What's up?" he asked, wrapping her into a hug.

"Nothing… listen, I'm kind of tired, okay?  I'm just going to go lay down," she said, pushing away from him suddenly.  Jay sent her a confused and concerned look.  He figured she would be tired, but something about the way she was acting since she stepped in the door didn't seem right.  She went to stand, but he grabbed her arm, pulling her back down to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern filling his brown eyes.  Shaking her head, Stephanie pushed him away again.

"Don't worry Jay, it… it's nothing.  I'm just a little stressed out, that's all.  I… I had a long week," she said, sighing as she stood up.  Jay shook his head, not buying into her answer at all.  He knew her too well… she had to be lying.  He turned and watched as she began to make her way up the stairs.  He hesitated for a beat, then was off after her.

"Steph… I know something's up.  Come on babe, just tell me," he pleaded, pouting at her when she turned to look at him.

"No Jay," she replied, shifting back around and continuing up the stairs.

"Stephanie…"

"Jay…"

"Stephanie Marie…"

"Okay!  God damn Jay!  If you want to know what's wrong with me, I got a phone call last night… one that I'm not too happy about," she answered, stopping and looking at him.

"What?  Who was it?" the Canadian asked fearfully.  He felt himself growing scared when he saw a tear building up in her eye.  He made his way up the rest of the steps, stopping when he reached her.  Placing a hand on her shoulder, he asked her again.  "Who was it?"

Shaking her head, Stephanie turned away from him.  "I don't want to talk about it Jay," she said, forcing herself to keep her voice from shaking.  She moved to continue stomping her way up the stairs, but Jay grabbed a hold of her arm.

"No way… you can't do that Steph.  You have to tell me what happened," he said, taking her other arm in his hand as well.  Looking away from him, Stephanie fought the tears threatening her brown eyes.

"It was Brock," she admitted, her eyes now becoming fixed on the floor.  Jay's eyes widened slightly… Brock?

"Brock?  As in Brock Lesnar?" he asked in disbelief.  When she nodded, he continued, "Why the hell would he call you?  What did he say to you?  How dare he call you!  Let me find out where he is… I swear to God I'll kill that bastard."  Jay pulled Stephanie to him, suddenly feeling a very fierce need to keep her close to him.

"I, uh… I didn't actually talk to him directly.  He left me a message… I deleted it when I heard it," she explained.  "It… it really freaked me out."

Moving around so that his arm was around her shoulder, Jay sat the two of them down on the top step.  "What exactly did he say?" he questioned, half in curiosity, half in disbelief.

"He, uh… he said he was wrong," she replied, folding her hands together.  Jay raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"He said he knew that he was wrong… he was realizing that everything he did was wrong.  He didn't apologize, he just said that he came to the realizing that he was going to rot in hell for everything he did.  He said he would have called Britney, but he knew she wouldn't listen to the message, and that I would.  All that was fine, but then he started to sound scary," she explained.

"What do you mean scary?"  Sighing, Stephanie ran a manicured hand through her brown hair.

"He… he said for me to tell Britney that he was going to prove to her how he knew he was wrong.  That he would make everything right again.  Then he said something about the number 451.  He just said, 'I have one more thing to say… 451.'  I… I don't know what the hell he was talking about, but I didn't like the sound of his voice at all," she said, leaning into Jay's embrace.  The Canadian shook his head.  _He's a fucking whack job._

"He just doesn't know when to quit does he?  Why can't he just leave her alone?" he asked, to himself really.  Stephanie shook her head.

"I don't know Jay.  Look, just don't mention any of this to Britney okay?  She and Adam have gone through enough shit in the last week or so… they don't need to hear this too," she said, moving to stand.  Looking up at her, Jay nodded.  It was going to be hard not to tell Adam when he had a burning urge to do so, as well as strangle Brock for even thinking of calling his girlfriend.

Jay listened as his girlfriend headed into the bedroom.  He could hear her sighing as she hit the bed, her shoes hitting the floor with a thump.  He sat on the step for a minute, thinking about what he'd just heard.  Suddenly, something occurred to him.  He jumped up and headed into the bedroom, calling Steph's name as he pushed open the door.

"Steph, you don't think he…"

He trailed off as he noticed that she had already fallen asleep, curled up into a ball.  He slowly walked over to her, sitting down next to her on the bed.  She had to be exhausted.  Gently running his finger over the side of her cheek, he sighed.  The thought he'd had in his mind on the steps popped back into his head.  Adam had been booked for promotion in the UK for almost four months now.  He would be gone all of next week.  Britney was going to be staying with Chris until he got back.  Jay shuddered as a thought popped into his mind.  He closed his eyes, hoping that Brock Lesnar didn't try to 'prove' anything to Britney while Adam was in Europe.

FRIDAY, JULY 11, 2003 

Britney and Chris walked into the hotel they were staying at for the night, both of their bags slung over Chris's shoulder.  Britney shook her head as she remembered him insisting in the parking lot that he would carry her bag.  Sometimes he treated her like a damn invalid.  Still, she hadn't fully recovered from Brock attacking her, so she supposed he was just trying to be a good guy.  She sighed as they made their way up to the front desk.  She didn't see a point in her even being on the road.  It wasn't like she was going to be on the show or anything.  She hadn't been on any of the shows all week.  Truth was, she was really tired and wanted to stay home and rest, but Adam would have no part of that.  He made her swear she would go on the road with Chris and made both him and Jay swear that they wouldn't let her out of their collective sight the entire time he was gone.  She supposed he was never going to let her be alone again for the rest of her life.

"Hi," Chris said, stepping up to the counter.  "I have a room registered under Irvine."  The young woman working at the desk looked up, smiling as she realized it was Jericho standing in front of her.

"Sure thing Chris," she said cheerily.  She typed something into the computer, then frowned when she looked past Chris to see Britney.  She had seen a story on the news about the young diva… it was really heartbreaking.  She couldn't believe that Brock Lesnar, one of her favorite Superstars, was in reality a monster.

"Oh Britney… I'm so sorry about what happened," she said soothingly, causing Britney's head to shoot up.  This was one of the reasons she didn't want to come on the road… the sympathy.  Forcing a tiny smile, she thanked the young woman.

"Thanks…"

Noticing her expression and the tone of her voice, Chris hurried her along and got his room key.  He led Britney to the elevator, pressing the button and allowing her to step inside.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern flooding his handsome face.

"I'm fine Chris," she said flatly.  Chris frowned upon seeing her.  Britney met his eyes, scowling when she saw how upset he looked.

"Stop babying me Chris… I'll be fine," she said, sending him a look.

"I'm sorry Brit, you know I can't help it.  You're like my little sister… if you're hurting, I'm hurting too," he said, watching as they reached their floor and the elevator door opened.  

They stepped off the elevator, heading down the hallway towards their room.  As they made their way down the hall, Chris got a funny feeling in his stomach.  Shrugging, he shook it off, deciding it was probably because he hadn't eaten in awhile.  They kept walking, finally stopping when they reached the room.  Chris looked up at the number on the door as he slid the key in… Room 451.  As he pulled the key out and the little green light flashed, the feeling came back again.  He didn't know what it was, but he just got the most awful feeling in the pit of his stomach.  As Britney looked at him, waiting for him to open the door, something went off in his head.  The voices told him to get Britney and get the hell away from the room.  He didn't know why, but he had the strongest urge to get her out of there.  He got the feeling that there was something in there, something he didn't want Britney to see.

"Uh… let's go get something to eat Brit… I'm kind of hungry," he suggested suddenly, feeling a little shaky.

"Okay, we can go… let's just put our bags in there first," she said, making a grab for the door handle.  Jumping in front of the door, he blocked her, shaking his head fiercely.

"No!  I mean, uh… no.  Let's just leave them out here… no one's going to take them.  Better yet, lets just bring them with us," he said shakily.  Britney looked at him like he was crazy.

"What the hell is wrong with you?  Get out of the way!" she cried, pushing him away from the door.  At first, he held fast, and she couldn't get him to budge.  Then, she got angry, shoving him with all her might.  He hadn't expected her to be that strong, so he tumbled sideways, falling out of the way.

"Britney, don't!" he yelled, grabbing her arm again… but it was too late.  She flung the door open, gasping loudly and turning white.

"Oh my God…"

**Cliffhanger!  LOL, I'm sorry if this chapter's not as good as usual… I'm kind of falling asleep as I type this.  I just didn't want to wait to post another chapter so I wrote it out.  Let me know what you think!**


	58. Part 57

PART 57

AT THE ARENA

Stephanie and Jay sat in Vince's office at the arena, talking with the brunette's father.  Their flight had been really early and they had nothing to do, so they figured they'd pay Vince a little visit.  The three of them sat in the room, talking about anything and everything.  Jay still thought it was so weird that he was talking to Vince like this.  Two years ago, he could have never pictured himself having a civil conversation with the chairman about anything other than business.  Then again, two years ago, Jay wasn't like a son to Vince, and he definitely was now.

"I talked to Adam this morning," Vince said, switching his glance from Stephanie to Jay.

"What did he say?" Jay asked curiously.  He thought it was kind of funny that Adam would call Vince and not him, but Adam hadn't really been himself lately.

"Well," Vince said, folding his hands on his desk.  "Nothing too important.  He told me how ticket sales were going, which is pretty well.  Then he said he got his last appearance cancelled and his flight home pushed up because he didn't want to be overseas any longer… he comes home tomorrow instead of next Monday."

"Oh," Jay said, looking down.  He knew Adam would never make for the whole duration of the trip.  He sat back in his seat, clenching Stephanie's hand tightly.  The three of them sat in the room in silence, all of them trying to think of something to say.  The need for them to speak went away when the door burst open and Paul Heyman flew into the room.

"What is it Paul?" Vince asked, frowning as he saw who it was who had entered the room.

"I… I have to… tell you something," he said breathlessly, like he'd run to the office.  He paused, stopping to catch his breath before continuing.  "I think I did something bad."

"Well there's a surprise," Jay said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  Shooting a glare at him, Heyman shook his head.

"I'm serious.  I realize that you people have no reason to like me…"

"That's right… because you're a freak," Jay interrupted.  He wasn't going to pretend to like Heyman, not after all he did to Britney and Adam.  The guy was nothing but a creep in his eyes.

"Alright Jay, just let him talk," Vince said, sending him a slightly reprimanding glance.  Shaking his head, Jay shut his mouth, turning his glance back to Heyman.

"See, ever since Brock um… kidnapped Britney, he's been asking me for help.  I… I told him a while ago that I wanted nothing to do with him anymore.  I know it's hard to believe, but I swear, I didn't think he was going to take things that far.  But, last night, he kind of threatened me, and I kind of told him something that may not have been a… well, it wasn't a… a…"

"What the fuck did you say?" Jay cut in impatiently.  Paul's eyes widened slightly at the demand in the Canadian's tone.

"I may have slipped out some information… something like… Britney's hotel room number," he finished nervously, wincing as he awaited their reaction.  He opened one eye, squeezing it shut tightly as he saw a furious glare take over Vince McMahon's face.

"You did WHAT?!" he yelled, slamming his hands down on his desk.  Both Jay and Stephanie whipped their heads around in Heyman's direction, eyes widening in disbelief.

"I… I…" he stammered, realizing the hole he'd just put himself in.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Jay screamed, jumping out of his seat and making Stephanie jump.  Jay had always had a big and short fused temper, but he usually kept most of his thoughts to himself.  It was unlike him to jump up in the middle of something and scream like that, but he figured after what he just heard he had a right to.

"I… I'm really sorry," Heyman said, backing himself towards the door slowly.  The Canadian looked like he was about to pounce on him.

"Sorry?  You're sorry?  That's great Paul, just great.  Because at least now if Britney gets killed we'll have the comfort of knowing that you are sorry!" he cried, moving towards him.

"Jay!" Stephanie called, frowning when he mentioned Britney getting killed.

"Steph!  He TOLD Brock where Britney's going to be!  Even if Chris is with her, the guy is insane!  You know he won't think twice about…"

"Alright Jay," Vince cut in, watching the tears build in his daughter's eyes.  "As for _you_," he continued, narrowing his eyes at Heyman.  "I hope you realize the seriousness of what you just did.  Not only did you give Brock the number of my niece's hotel room, you are officially helping hide a fugitive.  You could spend some serious jail time…"

Jay shook his head in disbelief as he stopped paying attention to Vince's rambling.  He couldn't believe Vince was talking so calmly to Heyman, like he had made a little mistake or something.  He shifted in his seat, wondering when this was going to end so he could get out of the office.  The blonde man wanted to hurry and get to the hotel, hopefully before Britney and Chris even got there.  Looking around the room, he noticed that Heyman had since backed off the door and was standing closer to Vince, nodding as the Chairman scolded him.  Without thinking, he stood, deciding he wasn't going to wait around to go to the hotel… he was going now.  He jumped slightly and ran out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.  Stephanie hesitated for a minute, and then she was up and off after him.

"Jay, wait!" she called, hoping he'd stop and wait for her.  She didn't' want him to go anywhere by himself.  Paul Levesque was one thing, but Brock Lesnar was a whole other story.

AT THE HOTEL 

Britney stared into the hotel room with wide eyes, feeling herself beginning to shake as she eyed the man in the room, who was grinning at her like the Cheshire cat.  Chris moved behind her, unable to hide his gasp when he realized what, or rather who it was that had given him the feeling that he didn't want to go in there… Brock Lesnar.

"W-what are you doing here?" Britney asked, backing up until she bumped into Chris.  Even Chris could feel himself growing scared as Brock stared at them from the couch he was sitting on, grinning at them maniacally.  The Canadian put his hands on Britney's shoulders protectively, watching Lesnar closely.  Brock stood slowly, laughing as Chris jumped and flew in front of Britney, taking a defensive stance.

"Surprised to see me?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as he eyed his ex-girlfriend.  He could see the fear building in her blue eyes, smiling as he watched her lean into Chris.

"What the hell do you want?" Chris asked, cursing himself as he heard the waiver in his voice.  After seeing the scene that Brock had left in Levesque's house, Chris felt he had a right to be a little afraid of the guy.

"Well, I think by this point we all know what it is I _want_," Brock replied, focusing his gaze on his ex-girlfriend.  "But then again, I _had_ that the last time I saw you, didn't I Britney?" he asked, walking up to her and leaning down towards her face.  When Chris felt Britney tighten in his arms, he brought his right hand up and shoved Lesnar by the face, knocking him backwards.

"Get away from her," he growled dangerously.  He could see the tears building in Britney's eyes, gripping her a little more tightly.  Brock narrowed his eyes at Chris… he should have known the blonde haired bastard would have been there.  Like Adam would _ever_ let Britney travel on her own.

"Or what?  You gonna beat me up?" Brock taunted, looking down at the much shorter man.  

Then, looking down, he realized that Britney held the key card to the room in her hand.  Looking back and forth between her and Chris, a sly grin crept onto his face.  He just got an idea on how to get rid of Chris.  Grabbing a hold of Britney's arm with his left hand, he yanked her back, pushing Chris out of the doorway and slamming the door shut on him with his right.  Laughing menacingly, he locked the chain lock, releasing Britney's arm to do so.  He continued laughing as he heard Chris kicking and screaming on the other side of the door.

"Open the fucking door!  Brock, I'm not playing around!  Open the damn door!" he screamed, prying at the handle violently.  Turning to face Britney, Brock grabbed her by the arm again, lifting her up to him.

"You better tell your friend to shut the hell up or I'm going to get angry," he whispered to her in a murderous tone.  Then, he let her go again, shoving her to the door.  "Tell him!"  Britney jumped at his demand.

"Chris, just calm down okay?  Just shut up," she said quietly, leaning into the door.

"Fuck that!" he screamed from the other side of the door.  "Tell him to open the damn door!"  Britney took a deep breath, screaming when she felt Brock standing right behind her, glaring down angrily at her.  When he put his huge hand on her shoulder, she spoke to Chris again.

"Chris, please!  Just shut up!" she begged, praying that he would just listen to her.

"No way, I'm not shutting up until that door gets opened and you're…"

"Listen up Irvine," Brock called from behind Britney, tightening his grip on her arm painfully.  She whimpered slightly, placing her hand on top of his and trying to get him to loosen his grasp on her.  "I don't know what your problem is, but if you have any brains in that pretty blonde head of yours you'll shut the fuck up.  I need to have a little talk, and I promise… you'll get to see her when I'm done."  Chris was going to protest, but instead he listened closely when he heard Britney gasp.  He pressed his ear up against the door, trying to listen in to see what she had gasped at.

"W-what are you going to do with that?" Britney asked nervously, eyeing the shiny metal object in Brock's hand.  He brought the gun up to his face, running his finger along it in wonder.  He brought his gaze back to his ex-girlfriend, smirking as he saw the look of absolute terror on her face.  He brought his gaze back to her, laughing as she jumped when he took a lock of her hair in between his fingers.

"Calm down baby, you worry too much," he said, taking her hand and bringing her over to the couch.  "I just want to talk to you."  He sat down on the couch, pulling her down next to him.  Keeping his eyes locked on her face, he could feel her squirming in her seat.

"A-about what?"

Leaning back in his seat, he put his arm around her shoulder, "Well, first of all, I wanted you to know that I heard about your baby and I'm terribly sorry," he said, trying to keep a straight face.  He grinned as he saw her wince.  "Seriously though, I've done a lot of thinking lately, and I know what I did to you was wrong."  Britney raised an eyebrow, sending him a confused look.

"What?"

Groaning, he turned his head to the side and looked at her.  "You heard me… I said I know what I did was wrong.  And I'm paying for it every day," he said.  Britney couldn't help but snort at his comment.  He made it sound like it was terribly hard to be going through what he was going through… as if she didn't have her own problems.

"Do you want my sympathy or something?  In case you didn't know, that baby that you killed is NEVER coming back.  You say that _you're _paying every day?  How about me?  Don't you think I'm paying every day for ever being with you?  Don't you think Adam is paying for letting me get away from him long enough for you to get your hands on me?  When is this going to stop?  I just… I just want to move on," she said, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"You can't move on," Brock replied flatly.  "You will NEVER forget me Britney, no matter how hard you try.  But anyway, there is one more reason I came here," he said.  Britney looked down, her eyes fixing on the pistol Brock held in his hand.  She kept her gaze there, watching to make sure he didn't move.

"W-what is that?"

"A celebration," he stated pointedly.  "You know what today is don't you?"  Thinking hard, Britney tried to remember the date… July 11.  Her eyes widened slightly as she realized what today was.

"I-it's your birthday," she answered quietly.  Grinning, Brock nodded, patting her on the shoulder.

"That's right honey, and we're going to celebrate in style," he said, standing up.  Her eyes widened as he cocked the gun, pointing it at her.  Two more tears slid down her cheeks as she stared at him, his eyes trained on her.

"You see," he said, laughing as he watched her jump at the sound of his voice.  "While I was realizing all the mistakes I made, I realized that shooting your cousin was a mistake.  I should have never wasted my last bullet on Shane.  Before Paul got arrested he gave me a nice supply of ammunition.  And now, I've got one more chance, one more chance to shoot the right person.  And Britney," he paused leaning down and cupping her chin in his hand.  "I'm *not* going to make a mistake this time."

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Outside the door, Chris sat on the floor, his back up against the door.  He gripped his cell phone in his hand, shaking slightly out of fear.  Britney and Brock had been in there for almost ten minutes, and the minutes were unbearable.  Chris wanted to call Adam, but then again if he did Adam would be on the next flight out of England and he didn't want him to be worrying his whole way home.  He threw his head back against the door, sighing as he prayed that Britney was alright.  Part of him wanted to knock the door down and take Lesnar out, but his sensible half told him that wasn't a good idea.  Brock was crazy, and he didn't know how he would react if the door was suddenly burst open.

"Chris?"  Chris's head shot up when he heard a female voice.  He forced a smile when he saw Dawn Marie and Amy.

"Hi girls," he said, giving them a quick smile before bringing his gaze back down to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Dawn asked, raising an eyebrow.  It wasn't every day you saw a blonde Canadian sitting out in a hotel hallway.  Thinking fast, Chris came up with a response.

"I, uh… Britney and I got locked out… we lost our key.  She… she's down at the front desk getting a new one," he lied, unable to look at them.  He didn't want to lie to them, but he knew the girls would freak if they knew what was actually going on.

"That's funny," Amy said, raising an eyebrow.  "We just came from the lobby, and Brit wasn't there.  I'm sure I would have noticed her, I've been wanting to see her since she was in the hospital… I haven't really gotten to talk to her."

"Oh… well… she was there, I guess you just missed her," he said quickly.  Looking down at him, Amy suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

"Chris, what's going on?" she asked, confusing marring her features.

"Chris!"  The three of them looked up to see Jay running towards them.  The blonde man had left his girlfriend at the arena, as he didn't want her to be in the middle of what could possibly be a very bad situation.  Acknowledging the two women, he turned back to his friend, speaking quickly.  "We have to get in there, Paul Heyman gave Brock the hotel room… wait a minute, why are you out here?"

"He threw me out… literally," Chris said, lowering his head shamefully.  "They've been in there for ten minutes and I can't do anything about it.  I… I don't even know what he's doing to her, or if she's okay… I'm sorry."  He felt like such a failure at the moment.  Adam had given him the simple task of taking care of his girlfriend and he couldn't do it.

"Don't go soft on me now damn it," Jay said sternly.  "Look, I got hotel security on the way.  We can get in there and get Britney out before he does anything stupid.  Chris, you can't just bail out on me now, I need your help."  He added the last line in after Chris began to shake his head.  Then, having a change of heart, Chris nodded, standing up.

"Dawn, Ames… just stay here okay?" Jay instructed, and the two women nodded, fear building in their eyes.  

As the two men saw security heading their way, they prepared to force the door open and break the chain lock.  They figured one of the officers would have something to break the lock with.  They nodded at each other, mentally preparing for whatever situation was thrown at them.  They both froze, and the two girls screamed, however, when a single gun shot rang out.

**LOL, another cliffhanger.  Okay, who was it?  Let me know what you thought!!!  The way I wrote this is going to make the ending a little further away then I originally thought, so if you didn't want the story to end, you should be happy.  Thanks guys!**


	59. Part 58

PART 58

****

OUTSIDE THE DOOR

Once they heard the shots ring out, the security guards bolted to the door where the people were standing.  They shoved Jay and Chris out of way, one of them digging around in his pockets frantically for the key card he'd brought with him.  Jay turned his head, noticing Mark Callaway heading in their direction, a look of confusion plastered on his face.

"What the hell is going on?  I heard a gun… holy shit, what the hell is this?" he asked as he stepped up to the group of people.  

Jay grabbed him by the arm, pulling him to the side and explained what was going on.  The older man's eyes widened as he listened to Jay tell him about Heyman giving Brock the room number that Britney was staying in and that the door was locked and they couldn't get in.  Mark scowled as he watched the two security guards struggling to break the chain lock on the door.  Jay had thought they would bring something to cut the chain with, but he was wrong.  Mark shook his head as he watched the men try to slide it across.

"Get the hell out of my way, we don't have time to play around," he said dangerously.  With that said, he pushed the two guards out of the way, ramming his fist into the chain.  It snapped instantly, dangling off the lock as the door swung open.  When he did so, he and Chris rushed into the room, Jay opting to stay back with Amy and Dawn.  He placed his hands on each of their shoulder's hoping to comfort them at least a little in the process.

"Britney!" Chris yelled as he spotted her.  

He heaved a huge sigh of relief when he saw her turn towards him… she hadn't been shot.  Then, he gasped, looking down to see the person who obviously had been shot.  He felt his knees go weak as he looked down to see Brock Lesnar, dead on the floor.  Even the incredibly tough Mark felt sick as he looked at the body, Lesnar was an absolute mess.  Blood was just everywhere, and Mark swore he saw a part of Lesnar's cheek laying somewhere that was not connected to his body.  Chris's eyes widened, and he literally had to force his lunch back down his throat.  His gaze traveled over to Britney, who was currently sitting on the floor right next to Brock's body.  He could see even from where he was standing that she was shaking.  Shivering slightly, Chris walked over to her and pulled her up to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly as she sobbed against him.  He brought her over to the couch, sitting down as he felt himself getting dizzy.  He held her tightly against him, looking up at Mark.  He couldn't believe it, but Mark looked like he was in total shock.  The Deadman, the American Badass, Big Evil… he looked like he was damn shocked.  His mouth was hanging open, and he was staring at Brock's body like… well, like he had never seen anything like it before.

"Uh… I… I'm gonna go see if they can get someone in here to… clean this up," he said, totally bewildered.  He turned and left the room, shuddering as he got a mental picture of what he'd just seen.  Talk about a way to show up at a hotel for your last day of work.  It didn't even really register in his mind that Lesnar was dead… his mind had kind of stopped working.  Back in the room, Chris turned his body so that neither he nor Britney had to look at Brock's body.

"Brit?  A-are you… okay?" he asked cautiously.  _No she's not alright you idiot.  She just watched some guy shoot himself in the head._  Taking a deep, shaky breath, Britney tried to calm herself down enough to speak.

"H-he… he told me… that… it… that it was my fault," she cried, clinging to him fiercely.  Shaking his head, Chris continued to hold her against him.

"What?  What was your fault?"

"That he… he… killed himself," she sobbed.  She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force the images of what had just happened out of her head.  She pushed herself off of him slightly, watching as he sent her a confused yet still stunned look.  Then, she took a deep breath and told him what had just happened.

"What do you mean you're not going to make a mistake this time?" Britney asked, leaning away from him as he brought the gun closer to her head.

_"I meant what I said… I'm *not* going to shoot the wrong person this time," he said, bringing the gun up and placing it under her chin.  A tear slipped down her cheek as she looked at him eyes wide with fear._

_"Why do you want me to die?" she asked sadly, thinking it was all over.  Sending her a confused look, Brock shook his head._

_"Oh no honey… *you're* not getting shot," he said, taking the gun out from under her chin._

_"But, that means…"_

_"Yup.  I wanted you to be here when I died Britney, because you know, you have a lot to do with it," he told her, eyeing her intensely._

_"W-what do you mean?" she asked fearfully._

_Placing the gun down at his side, he answered.  "You see, if you would have just stayed with me like you were supposed to, none of this would be happening.  You and I would be together, and no one would be hurt, or dead, or anything.  But you had to be stubborn.  You had to be stubborn and now I have nothing.  You took my life away from me Britney.  So I only saw it fit that you should be here when I officially take it away," he said coldly._

_"Brock you don't… you don't have to do this," Britney insisted, looking up at him.  When she made eye contact with him, she shivered.  He had no emotion on his face whatsoever… it was like he was already did.  Still, she didn't want to be the one to witness him die.  As much as she hated him for what he did to her, she wouldn't wish death on him._

"Yes Britney, I have to… and I figured I'd do it today, on my birthday.  You can tell them, Brock Lesnar lived to be exactly 26.  Brock Lesnar died on his birthday.  Most importantly, tell them that Brock Lesnar died because of you."  With that he put the gun to his face, closing his eyes and pulling the trigger.

IN THE UK 

Adam was sitting at a table, signing autographs at an appearance.  After he'd smiled for the last picture and signed the last promo photo, he sat back in his chair, sighing tiredly.  Only one more day of this and then he could go home.

"Hey Edge, thanks for coming out here man," one of the attendants from the arena said, coming up and offering his hand.  Shaking the man's hand, Adam grinned tiredly.

"No problem," he said.  Letting go of his hand, the man's glance turned serious.

"Seriously, it was awesome for you to come out here.  I… I know you're having a tough time," he said sympathetically.  The man was a huge wrestling fan, and he'd heard about what had happened to Britney from the news and read it on the internet.

"Yeah… we're working through it… I'm sure we'll be okay," Adam assured him.  _Wow, that was really positive of me._  The man smiled.

"I hope so… stay strong buddy," he said, patting him on the shoulder before turning and walking away.

"Thanks," Adam called after him.  Sighing again, he rested back in his chair for a minute.  Suddenly, his cell phone rang, so he reached in his pocket and pulled it out.  Seeing Jay's name displayed on the screen, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Adam, you're not going to believe what happened," he said breathlessly.  Adam could hear all kinds of commotion and what he swore to be Mark Callaway's voice yell "Get the damn cops!" from somewhere in the near area.

"What the hell's going on?" he asked frantically, panicking.

"Brock got into Britney's hotel room… and he killed himself."

Without saying anything else, Adam hung up his phone, jumping out of his seat.  He sprinted down the hall, into the room where he'd left the small bag he'd brought with him.  Jay's sentence screamed in his head… _"… he killed himself."  _Adam ran like a madman to his car, getting inside and flooring it out of the parking lot.  Brock was dead, but that was a comforting feeling at all.  Britney had most likely seen the whole thing.  He needed to get home and make sure everything was okay.  His mind was running a mile a minute, but it was focused on one thing… getting to the airport.  He already felt the guilt stabbing at him.  Adam knew that he had wished for something like this to happen.  It was all his fault… Britney had to watch Brock kill himself, and it was all because he wished for it.  He didn't care about the bag he left at the hotel, or the fact that he was still checked in there… he was going home.

**Okay, here's the next chapter.  Once again, in my opinion it's not one of my better parts, but I guess everyone's their own worst critic, LOL.  Hopefully you guys liked it.  Only a few more left!  Let me know what you think!**


	60. Part 59

PART 59

****

EARLY THE NEXT MORNING

Adam drug himself through the hotel lobby and up the stairs.  After a nine hour flight, he was absolutely exhausted.  Not to mention the fact that he was extremely stressed.  The whole plane ride back from England, his mind was filled with thoughts of guilt.  He still couldn't get the thought out of his head that Brock Lesnar had committed suicide right in front of his girlfriend.  In a way, he felt he should be relieved… after all, with Brock and Paul Levesque out of the picture, their problems would be coming to an end.  But even if they were physically gone, it didn't mean that Stephanie and Britney weren't going to think about them, and that was going to be the hard part… making them forget.  He sighed, stepping out of the door of the stairwell and walking to the room that Chris told him they were staying in.  He shuddered as he passed Room 451, the room Chris had told him they were in when Brock arrived.  Just the thought of Brock dying in that room gave him the chills.  He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he arrived at the room Chris and Britney were in.  Reaching a hand up, he knocked on the door.  A few moments later the door opened and Adam saw Chris standing in the doorway.

"Hi," he said, not really knowing what else there was to say.

"Yeah… hi," Chris said, stepping back and allowing him room to enter.

"Where is she?" Adam asked, referring to Britney.  Chris yawned and pointed to the bedroom.

"She's asleep.  She passed out about an hour ago.  She… she kinda cried a lot today.  I think she wore herself out," he replied tentatively.  Adam frowned as he thought of his girlfriend, and the day she must have had.

"Oh," was all Adam managed to say.  Chris looked down at the floor, yawning again before he continued speaking.

"I, uh… I booked another hotel room for myself so uh… I can just go there," he said, bringing his gaze back up to Adam.

"Chris, you didn't have to…"  
  


"Adam, I just thought you'd want to be alone.  God knows she's been through enough in the last… well, forever… and I'm sure she just wants to be left alone.  It's okay, it's not like I'm sleeping out on the ground or anything," he said.  Adam frowned as he eyed his friend.  He had never seen Chris looking so upset or just plain exhausted before.

"Hey, are you okay?  You can stay here if you don't think…"

"I'm fine, really.  It's just been a really long day.  I'll be okay… I just need to get some sleep," he replied, offering Adam a tiny smile.  Adam nodded, watching Chris as he walked over to the couch and picked up his bag.  "I'll talk to you tomorrow," he said tiredly.

"Okay, goodnight Chris," Adam said, waving as Chris exited the room, closing the door behind him.  

Sighing loudly, Adam dropped his bags, heading towards the bedroom door.  He quietly pressed the door open, wincing as it creaked a little.  He peered inside the dark room, over to his sleeping girlfriend.  She was curled up on the bed, blanket pulled over her and a crumpled tissue in her hand.  Adam shivered as he stepped into the room… it was freezing, the air conditioner had to be on full blast.  He over at the machine by the window, and then turned back to Britney.  He could see from the part of her body that was uncovered that she was wearing one of his sweatshirts, so that would explain why she wasn't cold.  He sighed sadly, walking over and sitting down next to her on the bed.  He felt a pang of sadness in his heart as he saw the moisture on her cheeks.  He hesitantly brought his hand up to her face, brushing away the tears that were dangling on her cheekbone.  Figuring he'd better go and get ready for bed, he moved to stand up, but a hand stopped him.  He looked down and met Britney's eyes, staring up at him as she grabbed him by the wrist.

"Don't go anywhere, please," she requested, her blue eyes refilling with tears already.

"I wasn't going to honey, I just was going to get ready to go to bed," he explained, brushing a stray hair out of her face.

"I know, but just… don't.  Just stay here," she insisted, sliding over so he could have a little more room.  He nodded, kicking his shoes off and sliding under the covers next to her.  Wrapping his arm securely around her, he pulled her to him, kissing her on the top of her forehead.

"I'm really sorry about what happened," he said.  She nodded, burying her face in his collarbone.  When she didn't say anything, he continued.  "H-how are you?"

"Numb," she replied, after hesitating for a moment.  "I don't feel anything.  I… I think that's best for me right now, to not feel anything.  If I can't feel anything, nothing can hurt, right?" she asked, sniffling a little.  Adam frowned at her statement… she just sounded so negative.

"It'll get better baby, I promise," he assured her, hugging her more tightly.  Laughing dryly, Britney replied.

"Yeah, for how long?  It always gets better Adam… it gets better, only to take a horrible turn for the worst a little while later.  Think about it.  Think of all we've lost.  I've lost my ability to trust, you've lost your sanity, we lost our baby," she said.  Adam couldn't argue with her, because he knew she was right.  The past year or so had been full of ups and extremely low downs.

"I know Brit… but there's a big difference now.  Brock and Paul are gone.  They're all gone, and they can't hurt us anymore.  There's no one to make us go through the bad stuff anymore," he pointed out.  She nodded, thinking about what he said.  It was true… even though what had happened today was horrible, it meant that Brock was gone.  And there was no way he could ever come back to get her, at least not physically.

"You know what?  You're right… they're gone," she said, a hint of optimism in her tone.  Adam gave her a small smile.

"That's right.  They're gone, and now we'll finally have a chance to move on with our lives," he said.  Britney snuggled in more closely to him, listening to the slow beating of his heart.  She sighed as she leaned against him.  For the first time in awhile, everything that had happened seemed okay.  She felt like this was officially the end of all her hardship.  She wiped her eyes and smiled, looking up at Adam endearingly.

"Moving on… sounds like a plan."

THE NEXT DAY 

Jay, Chris, Britney, Mark, Dawn, and Amy, spent nearly the entire morning talking to the police.  Mark didn't understand why they needed to talk to every single one of them if they all were going to tell the same story.  They gradually let them go, first allowing Amy and Dawn to leave.  They talked to Britney, Jay, and Chris more than anyone, and they even asked Mark to leave, but the Dead Man refused.  He wanted to make sure they didn't ask any dumb questions, specifically ones that were really going to bother Britney.  That plan didn't work though, as the officers got annoyed with Mark stepping in on every question so they insisted on him leaving.  Mark gave up, tossing his hands in the air and going out to sit with Adam.

"Hey man," he said, closing the door to the room they were using behind him.  Looking up, Adam nodded hello to him.

"Hey."

"You okay?" Mark asked, eyeing the younger man with concern.

"Not really, but I will be soon enough," he said.  Mark nodded, shifting his glance away from Adam.  After an uncomfortable silence, Mark decided to jump start the conversation again.

"So… are you guys gonna take that time off?" he asked curiously.  Earlier in the day, Vince had given Britney and Adam the option of taking a month off, to recuperate both physically and emotionally.

"Yeah, I think we are.  We… we kinda need it," Adam replied.

"Yeah," Mark agreed.  "Listen, I know you guys are kinda far away from me and Sara, but… if you think… well, if you need anything… while you guys are out I mean…" he continued uncomfortably.  Adam almost smiled at him.  Mark was so macho that he never even realized that he was a compassionate human being.

"Thanks Mark," Adam said knowingly.  The two men sat in silence, only this time it was much more comfortable.  Mark was satisfied… he'd managed to play the role of caring surrogate father without going too mushy on the Canadian.  A few minutes later, Jay stepped out of the room, followed by Britney and Chris.  Both Adam and Mark stood, greeting the three people.

"Hi," Adam said, as Britney stepped up to him.  She gave him a half smile, pulling him into a hug.

"Can we go home now?" she asked, glancing up at him hopefully.  Adam smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, we can.  I'm going to go grab our stuff out of the locker room and then we can leave," he said, pulling away from her and heading down the hall.  Britney turned back to the three men standing behind her.  She smiled as she looked at the three of them… all of them had been like saviors to her.

"Okay guys, I know you don't want to get mushy, but I just have to say a couple things," she said, causing all of their heads to snap up in her direction.  First she stepped up to Jay.

"You, Mr. Reso," she started.  "Have been one of the best people in the world to me.  For some reason, you always made me laugh, even when I wanted to die.  I just want to thank you for that… and for taking care of Adam for me.  He's crazy… I don't know how you put up with him for twenty years."

Laughing, Jay responded, "It's a very deep love."  Grinning, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, hugging him tightly.  Next, she moved over, pulling Mark away from Chris.  She pulled him all the way down the hall, causing him to laugh as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is there a reason you moved me all the way over here?" he asked.

"Don't want to ruin your reputation?" she offered, shrugging.  He smiled and nodded, and she continued.  "Now Mark, I know you *hate* mushy crap like this, but still… you knew it was going to come sooner or later.  For some odd reason, whatever that may be, you've always hung around me.  You're always there when I do something good… and you're _really_ always there when I do something bad.  You're one of the few people that has been there for me my entire life, and you have no idea how grateful I am for that."  Mark looked away, feeling his cheeks flush.  Britney grinned at his blushing.

"Well, I just… I did what I did because I… I care about you.  You've been around since I got here, and I've watched you grow up.  I guess I can't help but consider you a… well, a daughter.  There, I said it, you're like my own kid… are you happy now?" he said, looking back up at her and grinning.

"Very," she replied, returning his grin.

"Oh, one more thing," he said before she turned away, catching her attention.  "Since we're revealing so much today, I thought I might let you in on a little secret."

"Oh?  What would that be?" she asked eagerly.

"You know how Shane always knew about everything going on with you?  And you always said he had some big sources giving him his information?"  Britney nodded.

"Yeah… so?"

"_So_… yours truly was the sources," he said, grinning widely at her.  Shaking her head in disbelief, Britney punched him in the chest.

"Bastard," she said jokingly.  Standing on her toes, she reached up and hugged him.

"Yeah, yeah… mushy shit is officially over.  I'll see you in a month," he said, watching as she waved and walked away.  He shook his head in amazement as he watched what had to be the strongest person he'd ever met walk away.

"Okay Chris, your turn," Britney said, tapping him on the shoulder.  He turned around hesitantly, sending Britney a nervous smile.  Britney frowned as she and Chris stepped off to the side and Jay went down to talk to Mark.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just… I don't know if I want to hear this," he said quietly, looking down at the floor.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shaking his head, Chris replied, "Nothing, nothing.  That came out wrong.  I… you just… you bring out weird emotions in me Brit.  I can't really explain it.  I guess I just love you kid… I mean, I love you in that 'little sister who I must protect and kill anyone who tries to hurt you' way.  I… oh okay, I'll shut up.  Say what you wanted to say."  Shaking her head, Britney looked up at him.

"Okay… all I was really going to say was that you need to touch up your hair color," she said, patting him on the head and walking away.  Shaking his head and laugh, Chris grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back to him.

"You suck at lying, you know that," he said, gripping her arm tightly.  Laughing, Britney placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Yes, I know.  Okay, fine.  I love you in that 'big brother who I like to tease and mess with even though I'm totally thankful to have you and would be nothing without you' way.  Is that better?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Much," he said, sending her a satisfied smirk.  The two of them looked up as they saw Adam coming back towards them, both his and Britney's bags in his hands.  Turning back to Chris one last time, she kissed him on the cheek as well, hugging him.  

"I'm sure I'll be seeing you this month, so I'm not even going to say goodbye."

"Good," he said, playful grin returning to his face.  "I'll be on your doorstep at seven tomorrow morning asking for you to come play with me!" he called as she walked away.  She shook her head, and both her and Adam waved.  Linking her arm with Adam's, Britney looked up at him and grinned.

"Let's go home."

**Okay, only one (possibly two) more part to go!!!  I'm going to do my big 'thanking everyone' speech with the last part, so I'll keep this little note short.  LOL, some of you are going to kill me, but you'll have to wait a little while for the last part.  I'm going away until Tuesday so the next part won't be up till then or possibly Wednesday.  I'm sorry to be leaving you like this with only one part to go, but that's the way it happened.  LOL, there goes my 'brief' note.  Let me know what you think, and I hope you guys are ready for the last part!!!**


	61. Part 60

PART 60 

****

FIVE WEEKS LATER 

Britney sat in the Women's Locker Room, tossing the pants she wore to the ring into her bag.  She sighed, zipping the gym bag shut and plopping it down on the floor.  The door opened and she looked up, smiling when Amy, Trish, and Stacy walked in.

"Hey guys," she said happily, waving to the three women.

"Hey," they all said cheerily, taking seats around the room.  Amy smiled warmly as she looked at Britney, who was currently humming away as she put her left shoe on and tied it.  The month off that Vince had given Britney and Adam must have done them a lot of good, because upon their return the couple had a whole new attitude.  Amy couldn't remember a time in their entire relationship where they had looked so happy.  Glancing over at the other two blonde women, who were both currently pulling their cell phones out to make calls, Amy stood and quietly made her way over to Britney.  Walking up behind her, she placed her hands on her friend's shoulders, grinning widely when she didn't even jump.

"Hey… what's up?" she asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Nothing really Ames… just getting ready to leave," Britney replied, turning to face her.  The redhead frowned, meeting Britney's eyes in concern.\

"You're leaving?  You mean you're not going out with us tonight?" she asked.  When Britney shook her head, Amy continued, "Aw, but why?  It's your first night back!"

"Exactly," Britney said, laughing.  "I'm tired.  We're still adjusting to being on the road, and today's the first day Adam and I woke up before ten in a month.  I promise, we'll come out with you guys next time."

"Oh, fine," Amy gave up, tossing her hands in the air.  "I'll bet you're tired.  You guys had a hell of a night."

"Yeah we did," Britney agreed.  Britney and Adam hadn't wrestled that night, but they had made a surprise appearance on Raw.  They came out during a promo that Chris, who was now the World Heavyweight Champion, was cutting.  Not only did that mean they were working their way back into a storyline, but they were working their way into a storyline for one of the two major championships.  The reception that she and Adam had gotten was amazing… deafening, to say the very least.  The fans, even the casual ones, knew that the couple had gone through a lot over the last few months, and they showed them a tremendous deal of love and respect.  It felt so good to be back, and for the first time in awhile they actually looked forward to showing up.  Britney opened her mouth to continue, but the door opened, so the two women looked up.  They saw a head pop into the doorway.

"Hey punk," a voice called from the door.  Amy and Britney laughed when they saw that it was Chris, eyes resting on the two of them.

"Yes?" they both answered, bursting into giggles.  Rolling his eyes, Chris shook his head.

"If you being back and all happy and crap means I have to put up with the giggling again, go back to being depressed," he said jokingly.  "I meant _that_ punk," he continued, pointing to Britney.

"Yes?" Britney repeated, this time without Amy.

"Loverboy wants to know if you're ready to go," he said, propping himself in the doorway.  He nodded hello to Trish as she stepped past him and out the door, talking loudly on her phone.

"Well why didn't he come here and ask me himself?" Britney asked curiously.

"Cause he's a lazy piece of shit," Chris said.  "Actually, he pushed me out the door, pulled it shut and locked it and told me that he wouldn't let me in until I had you with me."  Britney and Amy cracked up, both women getting a mental picture of Chris getting shoved out the door and being locked out of his own locker room.

"Okay, I'm coming," Britney said, waving goodbye to Amy and grabbing her bag as she followed Chris out the door.  Once they were outside, Britney turned to Chris, looking over at him as they walked down the hall.

"So Chris, are you happy I'm back?" she asked, eager to see what his response would be.  Scoffing arrogantly, he looked down at her.

"Please, I didn't even know you were gone," he said.  Britney shook her head.

"Would that be because you spent half the month at my house?" she asked, grinning at him.  He lowered his head sheepishly.

"Well, maybe… but don't tell anyone."

"Gotcha."

The two of them continued on down the hall, walking along in a comfortable silence.  When Chris noticed that Britney's gaze was glued ahead of her, he snuck at glance at her.  He smiled, fighting to contain a laugh.  He hoped they reached the locker room soon, because there was no way he could keep what he knew a secret for long.  In fact, the reason why he was thrown out was because the others knew of his big mouth, and when the 'thing' was brought out to be shown to everyone, they forced him to leave.

"What is wrong with you?" Britney asked, laughing as she raised an eyebrow at him.  Snapping his head in her direction, he looked at her with innocent eyes.

"What?  What's wrong?  Uh… nothing," he said nervously, looking away from her.  Britney grinned knowingly.

"I know that look Chris!  It's the 'I know a secret' look!  Spill it Irvine!" she exclaimed excitedly.  Shaking his head profusely, Chris pushed her away from him.

"No way… I'm not telling this time," he refused, cracking a smile.

"Please?" she said, pouting at him.  Chris looked at her for a moment, then forced himself to look away.

"No pouting!  I hate pouting!  Look, I really can't tell you, okay?" he insisted, trying to be serious even for just a moment.

"I'm going to find out soon though right?" Britney asked hopefully.  Chuckling slightly, Chris nodded.

"Yes… now leave me alone."

Britney nodded, satisfied for the time being with the little information that she got out of him.  She supposed if she kept pouting for a little while longer, Britney could have gotten the whole thing out of him… Chris was always a sucker for pouting… he thought it was cute, but she was too tired for all that.  Instead she just shut her mouth and waited, sighing as they reached the locker room.  Chris reached his hand up and knocked on the door.

"Is Britney with you?" they heard Jay's voice call out.

"Yes," Chris said in an aggravated tone, rolling his eyes.

"How can I know for sure?" he called from the other side of the door.

"Say something Brit," Chris said, nudging her hip.  Britney smiled, doing her best to contain a laugh as she sealed her lips shut.  Chris told her to speak again and she shook her head, shaking with laughter.  "Say something damn it!" he screamed after awhile, reaching out and tickling her.  When she started laughing loudly, Jay smiled and pulled the door open, laughing as well when he watched Chris pick Britney up off the floor and hold her upside down, carrying her into the locker room.

"Cat must've got her tongue," Jay commented to Chris, who in return snorted at him.

"Asshole," he said, sticking his tongue out.

"Grow up Chris," Adam said grinning.  Then, noticing Britney hanging upside down over his shoulder, he spoke again.  "And get your hands off my woman!"

Sighing, Chris dropped her, laughing as she brushed the hair away from her face.  Adam shook his head, standing and walking over to Britney.  When he reached her, he leaned down, meeting her lips for a quick kiss.  Chris shook his head in mock disgust at the two of them.  He may have been snorting at them outwardly, but on the inside he was incredibly happy.  Adam and Britney were two of the best friends he'd ever made, and it was such a relief to see them finally getting their lives together again.

"So, ready to go?" she asked as she broke the kiss, pulling away from him.  He nodded, picking up his bag and making his way to the door with her.

"Yeah… see you guys tomorrow!" he called, waving over his shoulder.  The guys waved back and Jay, Chris and Matt Hardy all looked up.

"Good luck Adam," they said, causing him to shoot his glance their way and shake his head.

Outside the door, Adam wrapped his arm around Britney's shoulder as they made their way out of the arena.  "So," he started.  "I know you're probably tired and all, but do you think maybe we could go somewhere?  I have something I want to show you."  Smiling as Britney realized this probably had something to do with the secret Chris knew, she immediately agreed.

"Sure," she nodded.  Adam grinned, silently sighing with relief.  He hoped to God that tonight would go as he planned for once.

ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER 

"Okay, we're almost there, keep going," Adam said, his hands wrapped around Britney's face, covering her eyes.  He helped her down the steps, watching as she almost tripped when she reached the sand at the bottom.  He laughed, bringing her along a little further before stopping.

"Okay, you can look now… tell me what you see," he said, pulling his hands away from her face.  Britney looked around, eyeing her surroundings carefully.  They were on a beach, but that was all Britney could tell.

"Um… we're on a beach?" she offered, thinking that she was missing something.  Adam laughed, putting his arm around her shoulder again.

"Yes, we are… but do you have any idea what happened on this beach?" he asked, confusing her even more.

"Um… people got sunburned?" she asked, laughing.  "I… I really don't know Adam.  I feel like I should, but I don't."

"Okay, fine… I'll give you a hint.  It has something to do with a little over a year ago," he hinted, smiling at her playfully.  Britney wrinkled her nose, thinking deeply for a minute, when suddenly it popped into her head.  She gasped, realizing exactly where they were.

"This is where we got together!" she cried, satisfied at herself for getting it right.  Adam nodded.

"Yup… I was worried for a minute there that you wouldn't remember," he said with relief.

"Wow… this is awesome Adam.  Wait, I'm not forgetting anything else am I?  I mean, it's not like an anniversary or something that I completely forgot about, is it?" she asked worriedly.

"No, no… nothing like that," he assured her, shaking his head.  Britney sighed with relief, but she was still confused.

"Okay… so then why are we here?  Just for the hell of it?" she asked, hoping he didn't take offense to that.  It would be really sweet if he had just brought them there for the sake of doing so, but she wasn't sure that that was the case.

"I have a reason," he insisted, but then said nothing more.  Britney raised an eyebrow.

"Care to tell me what the reason is?" she asked.  Adam stopped walking, turning in front of Britney and looking down at her.  Taking her hand in his, he brought his free hand up under her chin and tilted her face up so that she was looking at him.

"Well, you and I have been together a little over a year now, and I just wanted to, um… see where we stand," he said, immediately cursing himself.  That wasn't how he'd wanted that to come out at all.  Britney sent him a confused look.

"Where we stand?" she asked, her tone just as confused as her expression.

"Okay, that wasn't what I meant," he said, sighing and trying to collect his thoughts.  This was going to be harder than he thought.  _Stop thinking so much Adam… just go with what your heart tells you, stop listening to that damn head of yours. _

"Britney, I…  I'm just trying to say that I love you.  We've been through so much over the past year… it's hard to believe it's been *only* a year.  I just… well, when Alanah and I broke up, I didn't think I was ever going to really fall in love again, but then you came along.  I've never been so in love before… I've never been with someone where I felt like I really couldn't live without them.  When… when you were in the hospital and they told me they didn't know if you were going to make it, I thought I was going to die.  I would have if you hadn't made it out okay.  The whole time I was there, I thought about what my life would be like without you.  I… I realized that I wouldn't have a life at all.  You're everything to me.  I don't want to ever have to spend another moment apart from you ever again," he explained.  Britney looked up at him, her eyes slightly wider and glazed with tears.

"W-what are you trying to say?" she asked, her tone shaky and hushed.  Adam lowered his gaze for a minute, looking down at the sand beneath them.

"I-I guess I have to ask you a question," he said quietly, bringing his gaze back up to hers.  Britney's eyes widened as he reached into the pocket of his pants, pulling out a black box.  She gasped as he got dropped down to his knee.

"I love you Brit, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Would you… will you marry me?" he asked, looking up at her.  He looked up at her anxiously, desperate to know what her response would be.  Britney's eyes grew even wider as she eyed the beautiful diamond ring, sparkling in the moonlight.

"Oh my God," she breathed, eyeing the ring in amazement.  Then, Adam's question hit her… he asked her to marry him.

"Uh, Brit?  Could you say something?  Please?" Adam asked nervously.  Not only was his whole future resting on the weight of the answer she gave him, but he kneeled on the wrong knee.  He knew with his torn MCL he wasn't going to able to stay in that position for long.  It would be a comical, yet horrifying situation if he fell over before she got a chance to answer.  Looking down at his expectant face, Britney's face broke out into a huge grin.

"Yes!  Of course I'll marry you!" she cried, watching in awe as he slipped the ring onto her finger.  After he put the ring on her, Adam jumped up, picking Britney up on the way and wrapping her up in his arms.  He picked her up off her feet, swinging her around him once before placing her back down on her feet.

"You don't know how glad I am that you said yes," he said, pulling her to him once more.  Grinning, she sighed happily as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

"Did you actually think I'd say no?" Britney asked in disbelief.

"I guess not," Adam admitting, unable to wipe the grin off his face… not that he wanted to.  Pulling him down to her, Britney kissed him once more, letting all of the emotion and love she felt for him flow into that one kiss.  After a minute or two, she pulled away, admiring her ring again.

"It's beautiful… and this," she said, gesturing to the empty beach, "this was a genius idea."  He grinned, satisfied that she was happy, wrapping her up tightly in his arms again.

"I'm glad you liked it," he said.

"I loved it," she said, breathing in his amazing scent.  "And I love you."

"I love you too, Brit."

With that, he leaned down again, drawing her to him for another kiss.  It seemed like all the struggle, all the heartache they had to endure over the past year was all worth it.  This one moment erased all the bad memories and gave them a clean slate to start a new life.  And that was just what they were going to do… start a new life together.  Adam pulled Britney into one last hug, holding her there.  He noticed that that grin was still plastered on his face.  He tried and tried to make a serious expression, but he just couldn't.  He looked down at Britney one more time, a tightening sensation in his heart.  He could have died right then and there and he would have died a happy man.  He put his arm around her shoulder as they began to walk back in the direction they came from.  Adam looked up at the sky, thanking whoever it was that was working up there for making everything turn out well in the end.  He shook his head, feeling the grin creeping up on him again.  He knew then and there that he was deeply in love, and that grin wasn't going anywhere for a long time.

THE END 

**Well, this is it… all done.  Now I get to do my long speech, and you *better* all be reading it, LOL.  I just want to thank you guys SO much for reviewing this story.  When I started this, I never expected to get so much feedback, and especially not so much that was positive.  I absolutely loved getting reviews for this story, and I have to say that I have grown to love those who reviewed every single chapter (you know who you are!)  I hope you guys continue to read and enjoy my stories, since I do write them for you.  Now, 'mushy shit' outta the way, how does a sequel sound?  It seems like people didn't want this story to end, so how about I do a continuation?  I have a million ideas (cough*wedding, trial, more drama… sound good?*cough).  Well, you guys will decide, so let me know.  I really hope you enjoyed this story, and I love you all!**


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